Fickle Love
by njeha
Summary: Quinn Gilbert is the loud and opinionated twin of Elena. After her parents' death, she runs away from Mystic Falls and into the Supernatural world. Quinn gains unexpected allies and embarks into a wide path of discovering herself & saving her life from ominous threats. The Volturi, The Originals, The Cold Ones, Witches ... Quinn isn't safe, but with loved ones & her allies ...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **A/N:** **In regards to the story; Grayson & Miranda Gilbert drove off Wickery Bridge and died on April 2** **nd** **, 2009 & NOT May 23** **rd** **, like canon.**

 **Quinn & Elena Gilbert are twins, both played by Nina Dobrev, except Quinn has sky blue eyes.**

 **Chapter 1:**

 _ **April, 2009;**_

 _ **Quinn groaned when she noticed the fuel gauge was nearly empty. She had been driving nonstop since her parents' funeral from Virginia, Mystic Falls to New York and she still had over an hour left before finally reaching her destination.**_

 _ **Stopping by the gas station, Quinn bought a packet of gum, a can of Red Bull – she needed her energy after all, it was already after midnight and she couldn't risk falling asleep on the steering wheel, and a bag of Doritos. Quinn began fuming when she noticed the cashier had all but disappeared.**_

" _ **Hello?" when no one answered, Quinn rolled her sky blue eyes and growled lowly in her throat. "This is seriously horrible customer service! What the hell-"**_

 _ **She suppressed the bloodcurdling scream that threatened to erupt from her mouth when she found a blonde girl with deadened black eyes lying on the floor behind the counter in a puddle of her own blood. Her face was frozen with fear and her neck ripped apart gruesomely.**_

" _ **She's not going to help you," an amused voice spoke up from behind her. Quinn whirled around so fast, she risked whiplash and stared horror-struck at the man. He had black shaggy hair, a cleanly shaven beard and brown eyes. But what stuck out the most was his chin – it was coated with blood.**_

" _ **What are you?" Quinn snapped, refusing to cower by this man. Let it be known, Quinn Gilbert was immensely brave and refused to be intimidated by anyone, even when she was facing death and monsters written off as stories and nothing but fiction.**_

 _ **The man cocked his head to the side, amusement lighting his features, "You're not scared?" the question was mostly murmured to himself. Scoffing, Quinn crossed her arms together and mocked him, "Should I be?"**_

 _ **The man straightened up, gathering his senses and said in a threatening growl, "You should be, little girl," and right before her very eyes, his brown orbs turned red, veined lines began appearing under his eyelids and fangs protruded from his mouth.**_

 _ **Quinn's eyes widened, and her hands began reaching out from behind her back for anything that could be used as a weapon, but before the man took a step towards her, a loud crack emanated around the shop and the man fell down with a loud thump – his neck had been snapped.**_

 _ **Standing behind the man, over his body was a beautiful woman who looked like –**_

" _ **Elena?!" Quinn gaped in shock. All the rage she had stored inside towards her twin sister and all the hidden hatred threatened to consume her, and Quinn forgot about the dead body of the cashier behind her, she forgot about the strange man who nearly killed her and instead, glared at her sister with malice, "What the fuck are you doing here? Are you following me?"**_

 _ **A smirk curled on her lips, making her look extremely un-Elena like. In her shock and anger, Quinn also noticed that her hair was styled in bouncy curls, a replica of her own. Elena's hair was naturally dully, straight.**_

 _ **Elena stepped forward and said, "I'm not Elena. My name is Katherine."**_

"Quinn, Quinn we're here."

Her shoulder was shook gently, and Quinn opened her groggy eyes and blinked furiously, trying to eradicate all remnants of sleep. Her eyes paused at the sign that stood in front of the moving car, informing them that they have finally reached Forks.

For Quinn, the whole situation was quite ironic, really. She fled Mystic Falls, Virginia, after her parents' untimely death, and ended up three months later at Forks, Washington, a mere three hours and a half away from her hometown. But out of sight, out of mind, right? As long as Quinn was away from the picturesque little town that she lost her parents in, was A-Okay with her.

Glancing at the man who sat beside her, driving the car, an involuntary smile appeared on her haughty features, "So what now, Uncle John?"

" _Now_ , I continue with my research and you get to hang out with your cousin. She did ask you to be her maid of honor," Uncle John replied with a fond smile.

Quinn groaned, smacking her head on the seat behind her, "Ugh, don't remind me. She's _eighteen_ , that's too young to get married and tie herself to some guy for the rest of her life."

A laugh escaped Uncle John's mouth, his baby blue eyes that she had inherited, crinkled up in a smile, "Don't lecture her now, Quinn. Your cousin hates it when you scold her."

"I know, I know," Quinn mumbled. Don't get her wrong, Quinn was glad that her cousin seemed to have found her one early on in life, but Quinn had high hopes that they would attend college together, single ladies bustling around, partying nonstop and enjoying the single life to their heart's content until they at least reached their mid-twenties.

Quinn wasn't a girl that believed much in marriage, or monogamy. She preferred drinks, booze and parties; Quinn had always been the flirtatious little Miss Popular without even trying. She was loud, opinionated, sarcastic and hyper with a slightly manipulative and vulgar side, and had always been able to strike fear in others, ruling everyone with an ironclad fist.

Uncle John directed her to where their new house for the time being was so that she wouldn't get lost, before dropping her off at her cousin's house with parting words of keeping her phone on her at all times. Uncle John was a worrywart, something unexpected since he looked so laidback and uncaring, but he adored Quinn, more than her dull twin, Elena, and so, she was blessed with seeing this version of the usually annoying and unbearable John Gilbert.

Quinn only had to wait a minute before the door opened and she couldn't help but smirk at the surprised look on her uncle's face before a beaming smile appeared and he engulfed her into a tight hug, which was surprising really; Quinn knew that her second uncle wasn't really fond of hugs and displaying emotions, but he always managed to make an exception for her.

"Uncle Charlie, don't you look dashing," Quinn giggled once she was released from his embrace, "Where's Izzy?"

Before Uncle Charlie opened his mouth, a soft voice called out in disbelief, "Quinny?!" Quinn's eyes zeroed in to the living room and a breathtaking smile took place on her face before a brunette bullet bumped into her and arms practically strangled her as her cousin held onto her tightly.

It has been a little more than a year since Quinn saw her cousin, Isabella Swan – just Bella; the last time they paid each other a visit was when Bella lived with her mother and Quinn's aunt, Renée in Phoenix with her new beau Phil.

"I'm so sorry about your parents, Quinn," Uncle Charlie said gruffly, not wanting to bring up a sad topic, "I tried making it for their funeral, but I was swamped with work."

Quinn gave a small smile filled with understanding, "It's cool, Uncle Charlie. Aunt Renée and Phil made an appearance."

Tears began forming in Bella's chocolate brown eyes, "I still can't believe Uncle Grayson and Aunt Miranda are gone," she choked out sadly.

Okay, so refresher; Quinn's mother, Miranda Gilbert née Sommers, was the eldest of three daughters. She had two younger sisters, Renée and Jenna; of the three sisters, only Miranda and Renée ever married and had children since Jenna still attended College at Whitmore. While Miranda gave birth to twins, Quinn and Elena, and later on, a son, Jeremy; Renée married Charlie Swan and had Isabella. Although Renée and Charlie got divorced, Quinn still referred to him as Uncle Charlie and preferred him over Phil, managing to visit her awkward and lonesome uncle in Forks every once in a while since they lived three hours apart.

Elena on the other hand, kept herself distant from the Swans, preferring her Aunt Jenna over Aunt Renée and her family.

"It was all Elena's fault," Quinn growled angrily once Uncle Charlie left for work; the two girls were sitting comfortably in Bella's room, on her bed. Since Bella couldn't make it for the funeral and had practically no idea how they died, Quinn began informing her of what had happened. "I mean, she ditched family night and ran off to the party by the woods. Dumped Mattie and gave mom a sob story, asking to pick her up. She could have, I don't know, sucked it up or asked one of her little fans for a ride."

Bella's eyes turned to slits when Quinn finished explaining how the car drove off Wickery Bridge and Elena miraculously survived. Like Quinn, Bella _hated_ Elena. The two cousins were a team, sharing everything together. Even though Bella was a year older, she was more like Quinn's twin than Elena.

"So. _Married,_ Isabella Swan? _Married?_ You're only eighteen! What happened to our future plans of taking college by the storm," Quinn pouted.

Bella squirmed slightly; when Quinn used her full name, she knew a scolding was not far behind. "I love him, Quinny. I didn't expect you to come so soon; I want you to meet the Cullens."

"Ugh, _whyyy_?" Quinn half-sneered, half-whined; she wasn't a fan of people, she found them to be irksome and petty. Quinn Gilbert only had a few loved ones that she could stand and protect with all her might, and other than manipulating and bossing people around, Quinn never kept close contact with people.

Bella gave her a deadpanned look, " _Because_ you're my cousin AND my best friend AND family. The Cullens are gonna be part of our large, dysfunctional family and I want you both to like each other. Besides, you're my maid of honor; it's like your job."

"Ugh, FINE!"

And that was how Quinn found herself being ushered into a gorgeous Victorian manor.

Her eyes widened slightly when she was met with seven utterly gorgeous figures with flawlessly pale skin, remarkable golden eyes and melodic voices; Quinn's supernatural radar began whirring like crazy, and she knew that these Cullens her cousin was marrying into were anything but normal.

"Bella? Who is this?" a handsome man with reddish bronze wavy hair asked curiously. But Quinn was well-trained by her Uncle John and a secret somebody, and she was an expert in deciphering body language – these Cullens were radiating nervousness and suspicion, except for a gorgeous blonde, all Quinn felt from her was anger; red hot anger.

"This is my cousin, Quinn Gilbert. Quinn this is Edward, my fiancé; his adoptive parents Carlisle and Esme Cullen," a devastatingly handsome blonde and a woman with caramel-colored hair and a heart-shaped face gave her a welcoming smile, "His adoptive siblings, Emmett and Alice Cullen," a buff and large brunette and a tiny pixie brunette with spiky hair smiled; they were the only ones that looked extremely excited with her presence, "and Jasper and Rosalie Hale." The last two blondes merely nodded at her, the blonde man had a constipated look while the girl was radiating waves of distrust, superiority and anger.

Unheard by the humans, Edward murmured to the rest of the Cullens that he wasn't able to read her mind. With Bella, he got a big, fat nothing; with Quinn however, there was a shrill piercing sound that made him wince whenever he tried focusing to get a read on her.

"Pleasure," Quinn quipped, a smirk curling on her mouth. Rosalie glared at her; she had never felt inferior to anyone, and took pride in her utterly gorgeous looks bestowed to her that even vampires couldn't compare to, yet this human radiated beauty. Coquettish, with her olive complexion, wide doe-like sky blue eyes set in a heart-shaped face with full, pouty, sultry pink lips and chocolate curls that cascaded down to her waist, paired with an hourglass figure – she was a stunner and a major competition to Rosalie.

"You never mentioned that you have a cousin, Bella," Edward frowned in confusion.

Quinn rolled her eyes and threw Bella a mocking pout, "That hurts, Izzy, truly does. I can't believe you never informed them of lil' old me."

"Izzy?" Alice cocked her head curiously; it was a well-known fact to everyone in Forks, that Isabella Swan _hated_ being called _anything_ but _Bella_. Bella chuckled, "Yeah, Quinny is the only one allowed to call me that."

"Hence The Quinny and Izzy Team- Okay, seriously! Who the hell keeps trying to invade my mind?" Quinn suddenly growled, shocking the Cullens with the rapid change from kind of friendly, to hostile. Bella looked like a caged animal, her eyes nervously seeking Edward out, while the Cullens gaped open-eyed at the human.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked, intrigued that a human could sense Edward trying to get a read of her when no one ever could.

"What I mean, Papa Cullen, is that one of you are trying to invade my personal space. And I _don't_ appreciate it," Quinn prowled the Cullens like a feline ready to pounce, "So two questions; one, who the hell is it, and two, what exactly are you? Because there is no way in hell, you lot are humans."

There was a minute of silence; Rosalie was the first to break it as she glared at Edward, "We're doomed! _Again!_ You see what you have done! First with Bella and now her cousin! Are you trying to get us all killed? Just because you fell in love with a –"

"That's enough Rosalie," Carlisle snapped immediately, succeeding in shutting the fuming blonde up at once. Quinn rolled her eyes and made herself comfortable on the couch, "Wow, how _dramatic_ ," she sneered sarcastically, "What are you?" her eyes narrowed, all mocking aside as her blue orbs glared suspiciously at each Cullen.

"We can't tell you," Bella piped up, sitting beside Quinn and grabbing both hands with imploring eyes, "Just, _please_ , just trust me on this." She couldn't invoke the Volturi's wrath and threaten her favorite cousin's life; she didn't want her to die or be forced into becoming a vampire.

But before Quinn could put in another word, her phone rang and Uncle John's name popped on her screen. "Yello, Uncle John."

"Hey sweetheart. I don't have time to talk much, but I want you to be careful," Uncle John sounded solemn, and that roused her curiosity, "What's wrong?"

"Just, hang on a sec …" after a few moments of silence, Uncle John's voice blasted into her ear, "I sent you a picture, study it and when you get home we'll discuss it."

Just as he hung up, her phone pinged and her eyes widened once she glimpsed at the image received from her Uncle. Glaring up at the Cullens, a smirk pronounced itself onto her features, "So, vampires, huh?"

It was instantaneous; all seven Cullens' jaw dropped, their golden eyes widening in shock while Bella let out a loud gasp. Quinn whirled to face her cousin with angry eyes, "You have a lot of explaining to do, Isabella Marie Swan! You're marrying a vampire! Dysfunctional family, indeed!"

"How did you know?" Carlisle asked at once.

"Well for starters, my Uncle researches the supernatural. He is a trained vampire hunter, and speaking of which, Izzy. Uncle John is going to blow his gasket when he finds out you're marrying a vampire."

Bella gulped loudly, her eyes widening with terror, "Oh crap."

A scoff escaped Rosalie's lips, and she took an arrogant stance, "You humans are no match for us. We can only be killed by our own kind." Her words were instantly agreed by the other six as they all nodded accordingly.

Quinn blinked twice before she burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter, "How arrogant are you, thinking you are the only kinds of vampires in existence?" a snarl escaped her again, "Whoever is trying to get a read of my mind, you better stop it, _now!_ "

"Edward, enough," Bella hissed. Quinn glared at him, "Stay out of my mind, pretty boy, otherwise I'll fry yours," she threatened, causing Rosalie to scoff once more at her empty threat, but Quinn paid her no heed; they will all learn in due time that Quinn Gilbert wasn't one to be trifled with.

Carlisle's face was gleaming with the thirst for knowledge, "What do you mean when you said we aren't the only kinds of vampires in existence?"

Slouching comfortably on the sofa, Quinn flashed a smile at Carlisle, "What I mean, Papa Cullen, is that there are vampires out there that are more humanoid, that is, they burn under the sun, die from a wooden stake to the heart, and they have human features once done with their transition, meaning they retain all aspects of their human looks. And a couple of other things, but I am not willing to share at the current moment," one thing Quinn learnt in life, was to always leave people wanting for more.

"The Volturi will kill us all now that she knows about us," Rosalie hissed venomously, her eyes glaring holes into Edward, Bella and Quinn respectively. A perfectly sculptured eyebrow rose on Quinn's forehead, "And who are these 'Volturi'? Why would they kill you?"

"The Volturi are like the vampire police, they set the laws and the rules for vampire-kind. If a human discovers their existence, they pose a threat and two choices would be given, either they die or get turned. But the vampires that risked exposure would probably get killed or let off with a warning," Bella shakily explained.

Quinn began sniggering, eliciting glares from Rosalie and Jasper – they didn't find the incurring wrath of the Volturi humorous the least bit. Quinn sat up straight, all laughter vanishing from her features, "I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous. There are many humans that know of vampires over the millennium and exposure was never risked. The Volturi don't scare me; the vampires I speak of have nothing to do with their laws, they aren't governed by them."

"Then you and all these vampires are idiots! The Volturi have a strong guard with impeccable gifts that could destroy a nation," Rosalie sneered haughtily.

Rolling her eyes, Quinn mockingly shook her body, "You made your point. I'm shakin' in my boots."

For the first time, Jasper spoke up, he had a delicious and honeyed Texan accent, "How can you be so glib?" His golden eyes narrowed at the human; yes, he was a gentleman, he was raised to be one, but this woman really tested his limits, and it was only due to Alice's comforting hold on him that stopped him from ripping her apart.

And for the first time, the Cullens and Bella witnessed Quinn's usually sarcastic, mocking and haughty expression melt into fear, terror and stoic. "Because I've heard of someone worse than them. Believe me, there are beings out there that make the Volturi look like Santa Claus."

Although the Cullens wanted to rebut her remark and scoff at her, something about the unbefitting fear in her tone made them snap their mouths shut.

Bella stared at her cousin with concern, "What do you mean, Quinny?"

Quinn smiled at her cousin, her face back to its regular smirk, "Don't you worry about it, Izzy. Don't we have a wedding to plan?"

 **-*-Fickle Love-*-**

"I found a coven of Cold Ones," was the first words to escape Quinn's lips once she arrived at the house Uncle John rented for the next few months.

Unfortunately, Uncle John had just been taking a sip of scotch and upon hearing his niece's words, he spat his drink all over the table, thankfully missing the numerous papers. He stared bewilderly at his niece, breathing in relief when he noticed no injuries, "Explain!"

Opening a can of beer, Quinn slumped into a seat beside her uncle and growled out, "Izzy is marrying one. Seven Cold Ones, Uncle John. And believe me, Izzy is dead set on marrying him and becoming one, there is nothing you can do to change her mind," she added.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and assume that Charlie has no idea," Uncle John remarked.

"Duh!" She then slammed a heavy book onto the table. Uncle John raised a brow and skeptically read out the title, "The Volturi?"

"Yup, according to the Cullens, they are the baddies of their world. Vampire Police. Can you believe it? Carlisle let me borrow it; according to him, now that I know their secret, I should be prepared."

Together, Uncle and Niece spent the whole night reading the book; they found out who each member of the Volturi were and their gifts in the high guard; the three Kings, Aro, Caius and Marcus and their gifts as well. Their rules and so on, so forth.

When the beginning rays of sunlight introduced itself into the darkened room, Quinn massaged her temples and groaned, "I prefer vampires to the Cold Ones. They are impossible to kill with their diamond textured skin."

Uncle John grimaced, "A vampire could easily kill them and rip them apart, but humans," he let out a loud sigh of defeat, "it's practically impossible."

"Yeah, besides, vampires have compulsion, but we can easily protect ourselves with vervain. Cold Ones sometimes gain a gift after their transition. I was lucky Edward Cullen wasn't able to read my mind."

Uncle John began pushing aside stacks of papers from the table, a sound of triumph escaping him when he found the exact page he was looking for, "According to Folklore, there are other beings with the ability to kill Cold Ones. Just like Vampire Hunters and Werewolves could kill a vampire, Shapeshifters have razor sharp teeth and begin shifting into a wolf for the specific purpose of destroying the Cold Ones."

Quinn's brows rose when she took a peek, "The Quileute Tribe resides in La Push; Ephraim Black was the Quileute Chief and Alpha of the pack. Great, I'm guessing he is the great-grandfather of Jacob Black. My cousin is marrying a Cold One, and one of my dearest friends in this horrid pig-infested town is a shifter. _Why me?_ " she whined.

"Quinn, no! I know what you're thinking. It's not safe for you to enter La Push on your own," Uncle John said sternly.

"Oh come on, Uncle John. Billy and Jake won't harm me. Chill yourself, besides my phone will be with me and I was already planning on paying the Blacks a visit. It's like killing two birds with one stone," Quinn pouted innocently.

Uncle John knew that Quinn was the most stubborn girl he had ever encountered, and there was no point in arguing further. After giving her his blessing and a warning, she jumped into the shower, changed her clothes and got into her car (they had her car towed to Forks since she drove her car out of Mystic Falls when she ran away and it had finally arrived when she was at the Cullens with Bella the other day.)

Quinn was excited to finally see Billy and Jacob again. She got along with every member of the Black family, even Jacob's elder twin sisters, Rebecca and Rachel who had a closer bond as twins that she and Elena ever would, and she hadn't seen them in a year when she last came to visit Charlie before Bella moved in.

"Quinn? Quinn Gilbert is that you?" Quinn beamed down at Billy Black who was staring at her with incredulous eyes from his wheelchair. Quinn bent down and gave the old man a hug.

"Billy Black, I have missed you! You still look old," she quipped, eliciting guffaws from Billy.

Wiping a few stray tears of laughter from his face, Billy gave her a fond smile, "Still humorous as ever. Come in, come in, what can I do for you?"

"Awwh, Billy, is it that hard to believe I came to check up on you?"

"Yes," he retorted, but his brown eyes were filled with amusement.

"Touché. Is Jake here?" Quinn asked, looking around.

Billy's slightly wrinkled face withered, "He ran away, Quinn. He, uh, he didn't take Bella's engagement to Edward so well. I don't know if Bella told you this, but he is in love with her."

"Ughh! Love is a fickle thing Billy, it destroys lives. Is he serious? I thought he got over her ages ago," Quinn groaned. Tapping her fingers on the hard table, Quinn asked, "Can you call him and tell him I'm in town? I'm sure that will bring his ass back."

Billy fidgeted nervously in his wheelchair, "He, um, Jacob doesn't have a phone on him at the moment."

Quinn inwardly smirked, that was the opening she needed to bring out her case, "Then have one of the other wolves find him, Billy." It was a comical sight really; Billy's face morphed into one of genuine shock and surprise, his jaw slackened with disbelief.

"You know?" was all Billy had been able to utter, his eyes still widened in a massive amount of shock.

"Of course I know. You forget that not much can escape my attention. Besides, my cousin is marrying a Cold One, much to my ire, and even though I'm not a prejudiced person, I don't want this life for her," Quinn sighed, and Billy's eyes reflected sympathy; the Pack had given their permission for the Cullens to turn her since it was adamantly Bella's choice. Bella didn't seem to understand the backlash it would cause for her family, but they couldn't force her to change her mind or start a war between the Quileute's and the Cullens.

Arguing with Isabella Marie Swan was a lost cause.

Later on, as Quinn was leaving the Blacks, she bumped into a hard, muscular body with a scorching hot temperature coming out in waves and she looked up, only to come face to face with the last person she wanted to run into.

Paul Lahote was staring at Quinn Gilbert as though she were the most important thing in the world; his eyes were focused on hers and mesmerized by her beauty and the confidence she radiated. And even though Quinn was glaring at him with fire in her sky blue eyes, Paul Lahote's green orbs were dazed with love and lust.

"Oh shit," Jared mumbled to Sam. "This is not good."

Paul Lahote had just imprinted.

He had imprinted on a girl that hated his guts and the very soil he walked on.

 _ **April, 2009;**_

" _ **I'm sorry, Katherine? Who are you kidding Elena? That's not gonna work on me. Now tell me, what are you doing stalking me? I left Mystic Falls to be far away from you!" Quinn growled angrily, both hands curled into fists.**_

 _ **Katherine rolled her eyes, "I am not Elena. Thank god," she muttered in distaste, "That girl is so dull and dreary, but you, you're the fun twin."**_

 _ **Quinn's forehead puckered in confusion, "You're really not Elena?"**_

" _ **Nope, and this guy here," Katherine kicked the unconscious man, "Isn't dead. Only a stake to the heart will kill him, so we gotta leave."**_

" _ **Stake to the heart?" Quinn scoffed, grabbing her unpaid food and storming out into her car, "What like a vampire! Listen lady, Katherine or whoever, I am not in the mood for your bullshit."**_

 _ **Katherine smirked at her, and jumped into the passenger seat. "And I did not say you can ride with me in my car."**_

" _ **You're so ungrateful. I just saved your life."**_

" _ **From a 'vampire'," Quinn said in a mocking tone, her fingers forming quotation marks around the word.**_

" _ **You better start believing in them sweetie, because your life is practically revolved around the supernatural world," Katherine causally remarked. "Explain how that cashier was drained of blood and fangs appeared from the guy's mouth, then?"**_

 _ **Quinn frowned at that. Huffing she took a large gulp of Red Bull and started the car, "Fine, let's say I believe, and that's a large 'IF', why did you save my life? And why do you look so freakishly like Elena. And me, except you don't have my eyes," she rambled.**_

" _ **That's a long story Quinn –"**_

 _ **Quinn stomped her foot on the brake and glared at Katherine suspiciously, "How the bloody fuck do you know my name?" she demanded fiercely.**_

 _ **Katherine smirked. Her eyes zoomed in to the bracelet gifted to her by her Uncle John that was delicately wrapped on her wrist and she tore it out; before Quinn could yell at her, Katherine's pupils dilated, "Now, you can remember everything I compelled you to forget."**_

 _ **Quinn was overcome with memory after memory from her childhood until a year ago, and her eyes widened at Katherine with recognition. She handed her back the bracelet and smirked fully.**_

" _ **Kat?"**_

" _ **Nice to see you again, Quinn."**_

 **A/N:** **Tell me honestly, how did you like this new story? For days it has been in my mind and I had to write it. I will have another chapter out in a few hours.**

 **The story is at the start of Breaking Dawn in the Twilight Sagas and going into The Vampire Diaries story. There are many surprises waiting for all of you, so sit back tight and enjoy my latest fanfiction story.**

 **R &R.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 2:**

 _ **February, 2006;**_

" _ **I'm going to miss you when I leave, Paulie," Quinn pouted, gazing up admiringly with lovestruck eyes at her older and sexy boyfriend, Paul Lahote.**_

 _ **A grimace appeared on Paul's face but he deftly covered it up and slipped into his regular playboy persona, "Would you really?"**_

 _ **Quinn gaped at Paul in shock, hurt clouding her sky blue orbs, "What's that supposed to mean, Paulie?"**_

 _ **Shaking his head, Paul untangled himself from her grip, and turned his back on her, "Nothing, Quinn, just- just forget it."**_

 _ **Reaching out for his hand, Quinn pleaded him, "Paulie, tell me."**_

 _ **Interlacing his fingers delicately with hers, he rubbed the inside of her wrist with the pad of his thumb and said, "I love you, Quinn. And I know, okay, I know you're only going to be three hours apart, but … a guy has his needs, and the fact that you won't have sex with me, that you don't trust me –"**_

" _ **It's not that Paulie, I love you more than life itself," Quinn beamed, her eyes widening with acknowledgment, "But, I'm, I'm scared. I'm still a virgin," she mumbled, looking down at the ground in embarrassment.**_

 _ **Cupping her face into his hands and lifting her head up, Paul gave her a winning smile – the famous smile that won many girls over, "Baby, that's what makes us special. I want to treasure you, I want to be the one and only one you lose it to."**_

 _ **And with that, he captured her lips with his. The stimulating push and pull of their soft lips against each other; Paul's tongue begged for entrance and after a moment, Quinn parted her lips a fraction and felt his strong arms wrap around her waist, groaning into his mouth, Quinn broke apart and stared at him with an indescribable look on her face.**_

" _ **What-"Paul was cut off as Quinn took off her top and he got a good look at her arousing cleavage that was quite impressive for a fourteen year old. Paul wasted no time in ripping off their remaining clothes and throwing her onto his bed.**_

 _ **Quinn began squirming as Paul sucked her already hardened nipple while he caressed and fondled the other; the kisses moved further downward along the line of her ribcage to her belly, and he paused to stick his tongue in her navel making her groan and wiggle with lust.**_

 _ **Paul could feel the heat and wetness coming off her and his shaft began to harden. Quinn's eyes widened at the size of his member and before she knew it, without any warning, he thrust into her, breaking her hymen in one go. The pain was excruciating and unbidden tears fell down her face. A minute later, the pain had diminished slightly and she wiggled, eliciting a groan from Paul.**_

 _ **She was so tight, her inner walls were squeezing his shaft, and he didn't think he would be able to last long; his shaft was throbbing painfully and he thrust into her, harder and harder with every pull; her breath was growing ragged as her moans grew in intensity, her nails were digging into his arms. Paul's eyes nearly rolled into the back of his head and with a shout, shockwaves coursed through both their bodies and their vision exploded to white and they both spilled their seeds.**_

"Remind me again, _why_ are we shopping? You already ordered the dresses for my wedding, Alice," Bella groaned in annoyance.

"We're shopping because I need new clothes," Quinn smirked, her eyes lighting up with every purchase that was being rung up at the counter.

Alice squealed giddily, her arm looped into Quinn's in excitement, "And I'm so happy you love shopping as much as I do. I love Bella, but I usually have to drag her out kicking and screaming to the malls."

Bella mock-glared at them and huffed her eyes trailing outside where Rosalie had been lucky enough to escape and hang around Emmett, Jasper and Edward. "Yeah, tell me about it. Izzy and I share _a lot_ in common, but when it comes to shopping, I usually spend it with Caroline."

"Who's Caroline?" Alice asked curiously; unlike Jasper, Rosalie and Edward, Alice enjoyed Quinn's company; although she could barely glimpse her future, she knew that they would be great friends someday – she just hoped her mate would ease up on her. Yes, Quinn has a few horrible qualities and can be quite rude and scary, but the girl was a lot of fun to be around and she had a good heart. She was Bella's cousin after all, making her part of the family, and they had to get used to her presence around them.

"My best friend, other than Bella, back in Mystic Falls," Quinn said offhandedly as she handed over a platinum card without bothering to check the amount. The cashier's eyes widened significantly and dollar signs were practically seen appearing instead of her brown orbs.

Bella scoffed, a small smile playing on her lips, "And one of the lucky few that Quinn could stand being around more than a few minutes."

"Shut up, Izzy. You love her too," Quinn pointed out, grabbing the bags from the girl and exiting the store with Bella and Alice on both sides.

"She's Caroline Forbes," Bella shrugged as though it were obvious, "It would be hard to hate the girl. You'll get along with her Alice, she adores shopping too." That elicited an ear-splitting squeal from Alice, and a smirk from Quinn.

"Let's leave," Edward snapped, interrupting the girls' conversation and causing them to stare at him with a million questions in their eyes. Bella approached him and placed a calming hand on his bicep, "Edward? What's wrong?"

Jasper growled lowly in his throat, his golden eyes narrowing in suspicion, "We're being followed. That guy over there has been watching the three of you while you were in the store." Simultaneously, Alice, Bella and Quinn turned at the pointed direction; there was a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties with black hair tied in a ponytail, identical black eyes and a tanned complexion, but he only had eyes focused on one of them.

Rolling her eyes, Quinn separated herself from the group, but a hand held her back and she found herself staring into the concerned and worried eyes of her cousin, "Quinn, what are you doing? Let's just leave."

"Chill, Izzy. I know the guy." Her eyes flickered to the five tensed vampires, "Stay here, I'll just be a minute." And before another word could be uttered, Quinn confidently strode over to the man, her heels clacking with every step; "To what do I owe this visit, Navid?" uncaring that there were five curious ears listening in to their conversation.

"It's not like you to let your guard down, Quinn," Navid spoke up, his black orbs flickering to the group she left behind, "And with strange companions, nonetheless."

Sky blue eyes burned into Navid's skull, "You are trying my patience. And I see you have come to me empty-handed. I gave you one chance and you blew it," a sinister smirk made itself known and she flipped out her phone.

Navid's arrogant stance evaporated and his eyes widened with fear, "No please, just- look, I'm not stupid to come to you without information –"

"There was one thing I asked of you! _One thing and one thing only, Navid!_ " Quinn snarled, her sky blue eyes turning icy with rage, "Meaning, you are either asking for a death wish, or firm that you have something of interest. Which is it?" The entire time Quinn was speaking, her finger was threateningly held over a contact, and the Cullens brow furrowed in confusion.

Navid began whimpering pitifully and managed to blurt out the one thing that had the ability to turn her blood cold and strike fear in her heart, "Word is spreading about the existence of a doppelgänger!"

Quinn's hand slackened on her phone, and she sucked in a sharp intake of breath. Navid found himself being shoved hard into the wall behind him, and Quinn hissed, " _What_? If you are lying –"

"I'm not lying," Navid growled out, his eyes flashing gold for a moment before returning to its regular onyx shade. Quinn kept her arm on his neck and snarled, "And what about me?"

Navid hesitated for a second, but Quinn caught it, and it didn't bode well for her, "Not yet, but it's only a matter of time."

Quinn yanked her arm from his person and straightened herself into an impassive mask, "Very well. You managed to buy your pack some time, but mark my words Navid, I want answers, don't come back empty-handed next time." Navid nodded and wasted no time in scampering towards the opposite direction. Breathing harshly, Quinn clicked on said contact;

 **We're running out of time,**

 **Q.**

"What the hell was that about?" Bella pounced the second Quinn joined them.

Flashing her cousin an innocent smile, Quinn waved her hand dismissively, "Nothing, just a friendly chat between two old friends."

Rosalie scoffed, "You were threatening him. The guy looked scared to death. I doubt you are _friends_."

"What is he? His eyes flashed gold?" Jasper asked, his eyes glaring dangerously at Quinn who stood to her full height, "None of your business. Look, I'm here for Izzy, _not_ to divulge all my secrets with all of you. Get it? Got it? Good."

"I couldn't get a read of him; his mind was blocked like yours," Edward hissed in annoyance; he was used to Bella's mind being the only one he couldn't get a read on, but ever since Quinn appeared unwelcome into their lives, his annoyance was exceeding.

An amused smile curled around Quinn's lips, "Of course you couldn't. I like having privacy Edward, I wasn't about to _let_ you read his mind, now, could I?"

Bella's brows rose, "Wait, you mean … you _hid_ his thoughts from Edward? But how?"

"That's for me to know and for you to, dot, dot, dot," Quinn smirked playfully.

Alice finally piped up, "Quinn, we're not saying you have to tell us everything, but if you're having any troubles we want to help you. After all, you're Bella's family, and I like you. Let us help." Rosalie and Edward stared incredulously at her while Jasper grimaced; why did his mate take such great liking to this secretive human girl.

"Help?" Quinn sniggered, "Why would I need help?"

"Because whatever his words meant towards the end, it scared you, Quinn," Alice said calmly, causing her to stiffen.

"Don't worry about it; I can handle my own problems. Just because Bella is becoming a Cullen, doesn't mean you have to make me an honorary one, I know that you and Emmett are the only ones that enjoy my presence. Papa Cullen is fascinated by my knowledge and Mama Cullen is too motherly and compassionate to kick me to the curb, so don't kid yourself."

"Quinn, come on, it's not –"Quinn didn't allow Emmett to finish his sentence, she merely gave them a grin and said, "I don't appreciate lying Emmett, don't worry about me. I'm not some kid that needs to sweet talked and sugar coated."

And with that, Quinn strode over the opposite direction, leaving the Cullens and Bella on their own; Quinn had more important things to do than argue with a bunch of Cold Ones trying to butt into her life.

 **-*-Fickle Love-*-**

"I can't believe you! I CANNOT believe you!" Bella shouted at the top of her lungs as they all sat in the living room of the Cullens house. All seven vampires were sheepishly avoiding eye contact with each other as Bella ranted at them the second they arrived Forks. Rosalie was the only one who had her arms stubbornly crossed, glaring at Bella with unconcerned eyes.

"Bella, my love-"

"Don't 'my love' me, Edward Cullen. How dare you! I know Quinn is not an easy person to get along with, but she's family, one of the only ones that have always been there for me," Bella shrieked, popping the vampires' eardrums.

Snarling, Rosalie snapped at the human her family was so enamored with, "She just barged into town, into our lives, and risked our existence with her snappy remarks and cold glares, Bella. I don't trust her, and I'm not the only one. She at least was smart enough to recognize our mistrust towards her."

The Cullens always referred to Isabella Swan as a kind, gentle, selfless and compassionate girl with a soft voice and a shy personality. She had a big, caring heart and always flinched away from attention from the mass of Forks. She was a down-to-earth person but immensely brave. What they didn't know however, was that only one person had the ability to bring out Bella's inner-bitch and a dangerous fire that could obliterate them all with the intensity of her words; that person was Quinn Gilbert, and nothing made Bella mad, except when someone disrespected and hurt her beloved cousin.

Apoplectic with rage, Bella exploded into a million tiny pieces, ripping the Cullens a new one, "You, Rosalie Hale are a bitch! You have _always_ been a bitch to me, and I accepted it, I accepted that there was a reason behind your bitchiness, and after you told me you're story, I understood. Didn't it ever cross your mind that there was a reason as to why Quinn acts this way?"

Rosalie was rendered speechless, and for the usually composed gorgeous blond, it was quite a sight to behold as her mouth opened and closed like a fish desperate to be returned into the water. But Bella didn't give the seven vampires a moment to utter another word.

"Three months ago, her parents, my aunt and uncle, DIED! And I couldn't be there for her, because I had Victoria and her newborn army on my trail! Her bitch of a twin was the reason for their death. Said bitch of a twin spent her whole life pitting people against her. Her little brother has no backbone and stays out of their business, and she only has one friend in Mystic Falls, because everyone else worships the ground Princess Elena walks on! How do you expect Quinn to act?"

Now, every member of the Cullens were rendered speechless, and Bella continued her strike of surprising everyone by facing Jasper, " _You_! You're the empath here; were you too consumed by your suspicions that you were unable to get a read of her emotions? You've been in a war, couldn't you see through the mask she wears?"

She then whipped around to face Edward, "You're my fiancé, the one I am supposed to spend the rest of my life with, my ETERNAL life! Did you honestly think I would allow you to treat my cousin obscenely, as though she is the enemy? Or maybe, you thought my love for you would cause me to alienate her from my life?!"

"Bella, no, no, of course not, it's just, I don't trust her. She's hiding something from us," Edward pleaded with her softly.

Bella scoffed – actually scoffed! In the entire year of knowing Bella Swan, she never did something as vulgar as scoffing. "Why? Because you can't read her mind? Get over it, Edward! I know you're used to being able to pry into everyone's privacy and you can't control your gift, but it is actually very rude and ill-mannered, and nobody deserves to be judged and isolated because you and I quote, 'can't read their mind.'"

She halted in her pacing. The next words she spoke were coated with affection, " _Quinny and Izzy against the world_. That was our motto. Even though I lived in Phoenix and her in Virginia, we managed to video chat at least once a day. She would save her pocket money to come and visit me and my mom; we are always there for each other, and if you think I am going to marry you and become a Cullen while you continuously act offensive towards Quinn, then you are _severely_ mistaken."

"Bella, love- Where are you going?" Edward frantically ran over to her side as she headed over to the door.

Yanking her arm from his grip, Bella snarled, "I'm going to find my cousin, and you are not going to follow me!" and with that, the shockingly new and improved Isabella Swan, slammed the door shut in their wake, leaving behind seven gaping vampires.

"Damn! I have never seen that side of her, I like it," Emmett chuckled; he wasn't worried, after all, him and Alice enjoyed the spitfire, Quinn Gilbert, and had been treating her fairly well in comparison to the rest of their family.

Edward growled, kicking the couch hard, "It's that damn cousin of hers. She's changing my sweet Bella."

"Edward! That is enough!" Carlisle sternly shouted, his golden eyes staring at Edward in disappointment, causing him to flinch slightly; they all hated disappointing Carlisle. "The girl has done nothing wrong to us. So she has a hardened personality, there is nothing wrong with that. Rosalie, you are the same, you should be the one to have understood her well. Jasper, Bella was correct, you're an empath, yet your paranoia blocked all emotions, and Edward. There is nothing wrong if Bella has a backbone, you should be glad, especially since she was defending a family member. It is something we all would have done for each other."

"I think you should all sit down and reconsider how deplorable your manners were to that poor girl. Her uncle is a vampire hunter and not once did she single us out or treat us any differently ever since she recognized us for who we were. You should all be ashamed of yourselves," Esme spoke up, and although her tone was soft and gentle, it made her words ten times worse.

As Carlisle and Esme retreated to their respective offices, Jasper, Rosalie and Edward sat down, and stewed in their guilt while Alice and Emmett watched them patiently.

"Alice, did you ever have a vision of her?" Edward asked hesitantly; his protectiveness over his Bella was too strong and perhaps it was clouding his judgment.

Alice pouted and shook her head, "It comes in waves, there are bits and pieces, but I can't get a good read out of her. Mostly I see her with a girl identical to her except with brown eyes like Bella, I didn't understand until Bella mentioned just now that she had a twin."

"Why do you both trust Quinn so easily?" Rosalie demanded questioningly; she knew that she had barely given Bella's cousin a chance, but she was envious of her stunning beauty, and that, coupled with her fear of their family being endangered by the Volturi, clouded her judgment.

"Because she's a part of Bella's family. Family is important to us, and Bella is inevitably going to be one of us," Emmett explained, holding his mate in his arms reassuringly.

"We trust Bella, that means trusting her judgment, and Quinn may have sharp edges and mysterious but I doubt Bella would love Quinn if she didn't have remarkable qualities," Alice said matter-of-factly. She then stiffened, her eyes staring into nothing and her mouth gaping into a small 'o';

' _My loyalty is to Klaus!_ _ **The new order**_ _!' a woman yelled out with reverence before violent fire encompassed her vision –_

' _How do we look exactly alike?' a voice similar to Quinn's whimpered in fear … 'You're asking the_ _ **wrong**_ _questions.' A cynical voice, also resembling Quinn's replied condescendingly –_

' _Quinn Gilbert, we finally meet,' a smug British accent threateningly spoke. –_

' _Like her, I will_ _ **never**_ _allow myself to die over some stupid rock!' Quinn growled angrily, fear seeping into her tone. –_

Alice was finally released from her vision; a large gasp escaped her mouth and terrified eyes sought out Edward's identical ones. The vision was all black, only the voices and the fire were clear and Alice knew they were all interrelated to Quinn, since she was unable to see vivid images connected to her.

Jasper was at her side at once, his golden eyes flickering over her face, "Alice, what did you see?"

"I think we finally found the missing puzzle to our enigma," Edward whispered out. Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper stared questioningly at their two siblings when Alice finally spoke in a chilling voice.

"Quinn's life is in danger."

 **-*-Fickle Love-*-**

"Vodka, on the rocks," Quinn ordered from the bar; ever since she ditched Bella and the Cullens, she's been sitting in the exact seat, drinking her worries and woes away. Shit was about to hit the fan soon, and Quinn knew she couldn't stay long in Forks, neither could Uncle John. She didn't want to endanger her cousin and she knew that the Cullens would protect her with their lives.

"There you are. You know how many bars I stopped at until I found you?" Bella huffed tiredly, plunking down on the empty seat beside Quinn.

"You know me, Izzy. Quinny and bars go a long way," Quinn snorted, taking a long gulp from her drink.

Bella scrutinized Quinn for a minute before finally spitting out whatever had been bothering her, "Look, Quinny, I know you by now, and by me knowing you, I can tell that you're deep in some really dangerous shit. I'm not going to pry, but I just want you to know, when you need someone to talk to or any help, you _can_ call on me, kay?"

"Thanks Izzy," Quinn beamed at her. Suddenly, she sensed a rush of bodies coming at them from behind; turning around, Quinn rolled her eyes when she noted the Cullens. Edward was fretting over Bella like a clucking mother hen – _Seriously_! Unlike Bella, Quinn would rather shoot herself in the head than be with a guy like Edward.

"Miss?" Quinn whirled to look at the person beside her. He was a middle-aged man, and a complete stranger to her, but nevertheless, Quinn ignored the Cullens and gave him her full attention. The man slid an envelope into her hand, and without another word, he left the bar.

"What was that?" Edward asked hesitantly, not wanting to sound untrusting, but curious enough for the reply.

Quinn raised a brow at him and without deeming his question with a response, rushed into the bathroom to open the envelope without five impeccable eyes snooping about.

 _Q,_

 _Sorry couldn't reply to your earlier text, was busy with a lead,_

 _In Seattle, there is a witch named Avery Jones, she works in the bar, Tail-lights,_

 _She_ _ **might**_ _have some answers,_

 _Let me know what you find out,_

 _See you soon,_

 _K._

 _ **February, 2006;**_

" _ **Uncle Charlie, I'm going to miss you!" Quinn smiled giving her uncle a bear hug.**_

" _ **Me too, Quinn. You take care of yourself, you hear me. And don't be a stranger, you know how much I love your visits," Uncle Charlie informed her with a large smile of his own.**_

" _ **Don't worry, I'll come visit during summer break, maybe I'll bring Jeremy with me before I visit Izzy and Aunt Renée in Phoenix." Quinn jumped into the cab and gave him directions in La Push – she wanted to say bye to Paul before leaving to Mystic Falls.**_

 _ **She knocked on the Lahote's front door, but no one answered, however it creaked open, which was odd, since they always bolted the door shut if there was no one home. Making her way to his room, Quinn began calling out Paul's name.**_

 _ **Upon opening the door to his room, she was met with an ugly and heart wrenching sight. Moans and groans echoed off the walls, and a gorgeous blonde could be seen writhing underneath Paul's body, fake red nails clawing on his back as she edged him on.**_

" _ **Oh my God! How could you!" Quinn screeched, tears leaking down her face. Without another word, Quinn turned around and went to leave the house, but she was stopped by a vice grip on her wrist and she turned to see a shirtless Paul glaring down at her.**_

" _ **Quinn, what the hell are you doing here? I thought you left already," Paul snapped harshly.**_

 _ **Quinn yanked her hand from his grip, "I wanted to say goodbye to my boyfriend before I leave, but clearly you were busy," she seethed, "How dare you cheat on me, after last night –"**_

" _ **After last night, what? You actually thought I loved you? Quinn, we're still young, I just wanted to get in your pants, not marry you. Why else did you think I dated you?!"**_

 _ **Quinn slapped him hard across the face; the sound vibrated around the house and already a pink handprint made itself known on his caramel face, "You asshole! I was saving my virginity for the special someone, and you took it from me. What! It was all just a game to you!?"**_

" _ **I would say I'm sorry, but really, I'm not. Quinn, just leave," Paul growled, his hands clenched, trying hard not to retaliate from the slap.**_

 _ **Tears continued to leak down her olive cheeks, and her soft sky blue eyes began to harden, "Don't worry, I'm leaving."**_

 _ **As she reached for the doorknob, Paul's voice snarled from behind her, "I never want to see you again, so don't bother calling or visiting La Push."**_

 _ **Turning her head to face him from around her shoulder, a scoff exited from her lips, "You need not worry your pretty head, Paul Lahote! But I promise you this, you will regret this, one day. Maybe not today or tomorrow, or a year or two, but I PROMISE you**_ _ **will**_ _ **regret this!"**_

 _ **Quinn dashed over to the cab, not caring about her tear-stained face and red rimmed eyes. She just sat in the back seat, thinking about how stupid she had been, how gullible and blind she was when it came to Paul Lahote, and that was when Quinn hardened her heart.**_

 _ **She promised herself, she will never feel heartbreak again, never lose control and give herself freely to any guy that compliments and sweet talks her. Quinn Gilbert won't be a doormat any longer.**_

 _ **Love is a fickle thing after all, it doesn't exist, and she didn't want or need any love from a man.**_

 _ **Paul Lahote will rue the day he decided to play her like a fiddle.**_

 _ **Love is a fickle thing.**_

 **A/N:** **I hope you liked this chapter; this is the background story of Paul/Quinn. Don't get me wrong I LOVE Paul Lahote, but before he began shifting, he was a player and a dick.**

 **Did you like the confrontation between Bella & the Cullens? I always hated how Edward was so possessive over her and bossed her around and she just took it; I decided to give Bella a backbone, something that comes out when she is around her cousin Quinn.**

 **I know that some things are confusing, such as the Navid part and the letter towards the end, but answers will be revealed later on. Be Patient! XD**

 **R &R.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 3:**

 _ **April, 2009;**_

" _ **Are you sure you want to do this? We can find another way," Katherine softly informed Quinn. It had been two weeks since Katherine saved Quinn from the vampire on her way to New York, and the two of them had grown closer, especially when Quinn's memories had been returned.**_

 _ **Quinn had been educated by the famously illusive Katherine Pierce; Katerina Petrova, of the supernatural world and everything that goes bump in the night – including the curse of being a Petrova doppelgänger.**_

" _ **I have no choice, Kat. I'm not going to be the main ingredient in some creepy sacrifice for Klaus," Quinn huffed indignantly, garnering a smirk from Katherine.**_

" _ **I don't want to falsely mislead you, Quinn, but Klaus could use Elena, I mean, she is the carbon copy of me. You have different eye color –"**_

" _ **But that doesn't mean he wouldn't use me. I am still a doppelgänger, same eye color or not, I could still be used." Quinn began pacing frantically around the presidential suite Katherine had compelled, free of charge. Her hand tugged into her chocolate brown curls a look of utter defeat present on her face, "Uncle John and Isobel are searching for a way to save Elena thinking that I'm safe, Kat. You're all I have. Don't forget we are helping each other out here."**_

 _ **Katherine's infamous smirk tugged on her lips, but she solemnly said, "I'm not just doing this because we both gain something from helping each other, Quinn. I actually**_ _ **like**_ _ **you. In all my 500 years of running I hadn't allowed myself to get close to anyone and you managed to worm yourself into my dead heart. I hate you," she pouted.**_

" _ **Awwwh! I love you too, Kitty Kat," Quinn beamed, embracing her vampire ancestor in a tight hug. Katherine playfully batted her descendent off of her.**_

 _ **Quinn went over to her room in the suite and made herself comfortable on her bed. Katherine approached her cautiously and stared at her with a rare look of concern, "Are you sure? This is your last chance … we could find another way."**_

 _ **Quinn vehemently shook her head, "I'm sure. Let's get it over with."**_

 _ **Katherine nodded. Her face vamped out and she bit her wrist before offering it to Quinn.**_

 _ **Quinn drank a good enough fill and wiped the remnant blood off the corner of her lips. Katherine smirked at her, "See you on the other side."**_

 _ **Without further ado, Katherine's hands were placed on both sides of Quinn's face and she deftly twisted her wrists, snapping Quinn's neck; a loud reverberating and disgusting crack filled the room and Quinn Gilbert's dead body slumped down on the bed.**_

"So, Uncle John," Bella awkwardly began, clearing her throat as she and Quinn entered the kitchen, finding Uncle John preparing them a huge breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes.

Uncle John turned and flashed Bella a smirk, although his sky blue eyes shone with sadness, "I was starting to think you were avoiding me. If you hadn't slept over last night, then I probably wouldn't have seen you until your wedding day." __

Quinn snorted in amusement and began piling food onto her plate, her eyes flickering to and fro from her awkward cousin, to her amused Uncle.

Suddenly, Bella's soft voice filled the room as she timidly said, "I'm sorry." Her eyes were glued to her feet, unable to hold eye contact with her uncle. Uncle John let out a loud sigh and abruptly walked over to Bella, engulfing her in a bear hug he usually saved for Quinn and Bella only.

"Bells, I won't lie to you, I am disappointed that you had fallen for a Cold One and that you have chosen to live that life. But I won't fault you, lecture you or alienate you. I will support you and always be there for you, just promise me you won't kill people and change your soft and compassionate nature."

Bella roughly wiped away her tears and choked out a verbal promise before returning the hug. "So you don't hate me Uncle John?" she asked timidly.

Uncle John looked horrified and softly cupped her face, "Never, Bells. I could never hate you. You and Quinn are all I have left."

"You don't know how refreshing it is to have people in the family I could talk to about all this. Mom and dad have no clue, and after the honeymoon, I'm going to have to fake my own death so that they wouldn't be endangered by the Volturi. I'm happy I will be able to keep in touch with you and Quinn," Bella beamed, all tears and sadness gone.

After the touching reunion and heartfelt words, the small family sat down for breakfast; laughter and conversation filled the air and for once the three of them forgot all about the supernaturals living outside the house.

Quinn and Bella teamed up and tackled Uncle John, ordering him to sit down and relax while they clean the dishes since he had slaved over the cooking. An amused John watched them in sync as they washed and laughed in harmony, before bringing up a surprising subject, "By the way, Bells. I will of course want to meet the Cullens."

Bella nearly dropped the plate she had been drying from her hands as she gulped and whirled around to face a smug Uncle John while Quinn suppressed her laughter – it wasn't surprising after all, and Quinn saw it coming. She didn't know why Bella was so shocked.

"What? Why?" Bella spluttered trying to earn back her composure.

"Charlie already gave him the talk, but since he is clueless of their nature, the task falls on to me, don't you think?" Uncle John spoke solemnly and Bella grudgingly nodded. "I won't scare them away, Bells, but my niece is marrying a Cold One, I think the talk is long overdue."

After that, the three of them made the journey over to the Cullens and Quinn enjoyed watching the consternation on the seven Cold One's faces as they gaped at Uncle John in shock. Carlisle and Esme however, graciously welcomed them into the living room and Esme bustled around the kitchen, returning with three cups of coffee for the three humans.

Clearing his throat, Uncle John faced Edward with a serious and grave stare, "I know that Charlie had already given you his blessing to marry Bells. Unfortunately, he didn't know that he was to give his only daughter away to a Cold One, agreeing to an immortal life. I'm here to warn you to treat her well since you will be spending an eternity together and to threaten you that if you _ever_ hurt her, I _will_ kill you. Don't think just because I'm a human I won't be able to," Uncle John growled, his voice morphing from pleasantly polite to threatening.

Edward nodded rapidly and Uncle John continued, "I have killed many vampires in my day, and believe me, even though I'm a vampire hunter, I know many and have a few on speed dial. It would be easy enough for me to call in a few favors and have them rip your head off your neck, understood?"

Quinn and Bella traded impressed looks; Uncle John was _badass_. The seven Cold Ones actually stared at Uncle John with the deepest respect after he was done with his speech, and even though Edward was nervous, he nodded and genuinely said, "I promise you Mr. Gilbert, I will treat Bella like the angel and treasure she is. Bella is my mate, and nothing is more important to me than her wellbeing and safety."

A small smile appeared on Uncle John's face, "Good." He then glanced at Carlisle, "From my research, I have discovered that golden eyes imply that you only drink animal blood, am I correct?"

"Yes, we call ourselves vegetarians, and we have no wish to change our diet," Carlisle was saying, "In fact, I am a doctor and have been around blood for nearly three centuries, making me immune to the call of human blood."

"That's very impressive," Uncle John's brows rose; he had never come across vampires that could handle bloodlust that well, and to be a doctor, constantly around blood day in and day out, was truly an impressive feat. Carlisle Cullen had earned the respect of John Gilbert.

 **-*- Fickle Love -*-**

Uncle John left to New York for the weekend to meet up with Isobel, an old lover of his who turned out to be a vampire – shockingly enough, and Quinn knew it was the perfect opportunity to go question the witch Katherine informed her about in Seattle.

However, just as Quinn gathered her car keys and opened the front door to leave, she found herself face-to-face with Paul Lahote and her face morphed into anger.

"What do you want?" she spat, pushing past him without another glance and rushing over to her car. Paul sheepishly tucked both hands in his trouser pockets and caught up with her.

"I didn't know you were back," he trailed off lamely. What a wonderful start. Quinn scoffed and whirled around to face him, "Why would you? Did you honestly think I haven't stepped foot in Forks in three years?" She asked him rhetorically placing both hands firmly on her hips.

Paul scratched the back of neck nervously, "I'm sorry, Quinn. Really I am. I was a stupid kid back then who only cared for sleeping around, _please_ forgive me."

Sky blue eyes turned to ice and Quinn sarcastically applauded him, "Wow, took you three years, huh. Why the sudden change?"

The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but before he could come up with some excuse, Quinn interrupted him harshly, "Forget it, Lahote. I have no plans of ever forgiving you; you told me you never wanted to see me again and I delivered, so fuck off!"

Paul's heart felt like it was about to burst, and his wolf whimpered pitifully at the crude words of his imprint, yet he knew that he deserved it. Jared, Sam and Emily had been trying to comfort him for a week ever since he ran into her by the Blacks house on the reservation and imprinted on her. Leah however, took pleasure in informing him that it was a lost cause; but she had to feel the pull of the imprint, right? They were made for each other, she had to.

"Please, Quinn, give me another chance. I miss you, I-, look there's a bonfire tonight, I wanted to ask if you'd like to come with me," Paul implored her, his eyes desperately beseeching hers to agree. He would be able to tell her that he was a wolf and she was his imprint tonight, and maybe she would try and forgive him, at least start out as friends.

"Listen Lahote, I have plans tonight, and I'm really not sorry. But even if I was free, I _still_ wouldn't be caught dead within an inch of you, so leave me be," Quinn snapped, turning to open the car door and leave Forks.

Paul grabbed her wrist, burning her with his scolding skin and she understood, a light bulb flickering over her head – Quinn recalled reading that shifters have an abnormally high temperature and then there was a small reference to imprints. Bella had explained the meaning of the word that morning during breakfast and Quinn staggered slightly, her eyes widening in disbelief as she focused incredulous eyes onto Paul's desperate ones.

"No, no, no, no, no, NO! Are you shitting me? Are you fucking kidding me," Quinn ranted into the empty air while Paul frowned at her in confusion. "Don't tell me you imprinted on me?"

Paul's jaw dropped and after a few moments, he was able to form a coherent sentence, "Wait, you-you know? How did- how do you know about us?"

"Oh _please_ , Lahote. My cousin is marrying a Cold One and my Uncle is not only into Folklore but a vampire hunter as well, what did you think? You really should converse more with Billy, he already knew," Quinn snapped in a derisive tone.

Paul swallowed loudly and nodded firmly, "Fine, ok. Yes, Quinn. I imprinted on you, and believe me, I regret all my actions towards you three years ago, and if I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat. It hurts me to think of how much pain and suffering I put you through," he whispered in a wounded voice, sounding like a kicked puppy – a complete change to the confidant womanizer Paul Lahote was famous for.

Quinn grabbed the door handle of her car as though it were her safety net as she gaped at the ex-boyfriend that had caused her to change, that hurt her in such a despicable fashion. "No, no. No. No, Lahote. NO. After _everything_ you did, after everything you put me through, after you _humiliated_ me, you cannot come up to me three years late, I may add, and say that you have some moronic wolfy claim over me. No, I don't accept, _no_."

And although Paul's heart bled at her rejection, he had to make her understand before she drove off, "It's not like that, Quinn."

"Then WHAT, WHAT is it? Love at first sight? Please don't make me barf," Quinn growled back mockingly; she didn't need this shit. She already had enough problems as it is without adding some lovesick wolf who gravely hurt her three years ago running after her.

"It's not like love at first. It's more like, gravity _moves_ and suddenly it's not the earth holding me here anymore, she does … _you_ do! I become whatever you need me to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend," Paul admitted, his words laced with adoration, hope and desperation.

There was a solemn silence in the air; neither Quinn nor Paul wanted to break it. Quinn's phone beeped with a text from Katherine, and she remembered that she had a witch to interrogate. Shaking her head, Quinn said in a detached voice, "That day, three years ago when I left La Push, I changed, Paul. I began believing that love is non-existent and that love was a fickle thing, because of _you_. I promised myself that I would never get hurt by someone else, like you hurt me, whether it was physically, emotionally or psychologically, and I lived to my promise."

She opened her car door and positioned herself behind the steering wheel, griping it tightly, her sky blue eyes connecting with wounded green ones, "You become whatever I need you to be? Well, I need you to leave me alone. Goodbye Paul."

And without another word, Quinn slammed the door shut and pressed down on the gas, speeding down the road to Seattle. The last thing she heard as she left the borders of Forks was an ear-splitting and heart-breaking howl echoing around the cloudless sky.

 **-*- Fickle Love -*-**

Quinn Gilbert had been compared to Katherine Pierce countless of times during the past few months; Quinn preferred dressing in tight, revealing clothing, always paired with seductive, killer high-heels. Her chocolate brown, luscious hair was naturally set in curls, like the elusive Petrova, and her personality was nearly identical with the famous smirk, and crude cutting words. Like Katherine, Quinn was a deft manipulator and held herself with the utmost confidence, and she always – _always_ got what she wanted.

However, there was only one difference; Quinn had sky blue doe-like eyes – the only Petrova doppelgänger that didn't inherit the chocolate brown orbs. But that characteristic couldn't be seen from afar.

And so, when Quinn Gilbert walked into Tail-lights bar in Seattle, unknown to her, a woman scampered from view and hid from plain sight.

With confident steps, Quinn's heels clacked on the wooden floorboard and she made herself comfortable on the cushiony stool by the bar, ordering herself the usual vodka on the rocks.

Quinn began studying her surroundings with an inquisitive eye, looking for the witch she needed. Unfortunately, Katherine didn't have a picture, only receiving a name and Quinn was at a huge loss. If she uttered the name out loud, she might garner suspicious looks, especially since she resembled the Petrova doppelgänger who held many enemies.

Already Quinn seemed to be gathering a few odd looks; a teenage girl sitting by her lonesome in a bar drinking strong liquor before five, of course she would. But Quinn reveled in being the center of attention, and she was a pro under the spotlight.

Two hours had gone by, and there was no change in staff. Quinn was left with no choice but to throw a couple of bucks onto the bar and ditch the joint. She would book a room in a hotel neaarby and return at night. Hopefully she would have better luck.

She wasn't about to blow her only lead after months of searching.

Unknown to Quinn Gilbert, as she exited the bar, a dainty figure breathed a loud sigh of relief and emerged from her hiding spot, spitting out apologetic excuses at her manager for disappearing two hours into her shift and promising to cover them at night.

Little did the woman know, there was no escaping a Petrova on a mission.

 **-*- Fickle Love -*-**

The hours rushed by and before she knew it, it was nighttime already and Quinn had donned on a tight black dress, paired with a leather jacket and ankle-boot high heels; she didn't want to stand out and found black to be the perfect color to blend with the shadows.

Unfortunately, Quinn's luck was seriously questioned when she ran into none other than Jasper and Alice on the outskirts of the hotel she picked.

"Quinn!" Alice sang, running over to her and engulfing her in a tight, freezing hug, dragging Jasper behind her with a tight grip.

Placing a pleasantly fake smile, Quinn asked, "Alice, Jasper, _what_ are you doing _here_?"

For the first time, Jasper allowed his gift to pick up on her emotions; nervousness and annoyance rolled off her in waves and Jasper was impressed that she was able to fool him for a moment with her fake smile. "Bella's been calling you, she was worried when you wouldn't answer and your car was gone all day," Jasper told her with a nonchalant shrug.

"So you tracked my scent all the way to Seattle?" Quinn deadpanned, disregarding all fake pleasantries and outright glaring at the Cold Ones. "Look, no offense, but I'm not a child, I can take care of myself. In fact, before I came to Forks with my Uncle, I had been traveling for three months on my own. I don't need a babysitter, so why don't you two run along to Forks and tell Izzy I'm perfectly fine."

"Quinn, I know what we did is wrong-"Alice began, only to be interrupted by Quinn.

"You're right, it is. I'm not Izzy, you have no right to check up on me and coddle me. I have private matters to deal with and I don't need two peeping Toms attached to my back. So please, leave."

Quinn whirled around to walk over to Tail-lights; she had picked a hotel that was ten minutes from the bar and didn't need her car, but just as she took two footsteps, Alice formed a sentence from behind her that turned her blood into ice.

"Who is Klaus?"

Quinn froze mid-step and slowly turned to face Jasper and Alice who stood perfectly still awaiting her response. Jasper recoiled backwards at the onslaught of emotions he was picking up from her; fear, terror and despair being the main ones.

" _What did you say_?" she hissed, her knuckles whitening and her sky-blue eyes widening in terror, almost threatening to pop out from their sockets and Alice inwardly cursed herself; she should have formed her question better – but ever since she had the strange vision about Quinn, she had been curious and in desperate need to help her new friend and shopping buddy.

"You're scared. You're utterly terrified at the mere mention of his name," Jasper stated, cocking his head in confusion and curiosity as his words drew the emotions of relief from her.

Quinn's stance morphed back into scornful, confident and sarcastic. For a moment, she had foolishly thought that they were working for Klaus as one of his minions; she was becoming paranoid like Katherine. Scoffing, Quinn sneered, "Anyone not afraid of Klaus is a moronic idiot with a death wish. You know Alice, you shouldn't throw around names so carelessly, it could come around and bite you in the ass."

Jasper snarled, his protective instincts towards his mate returning tenfold, "Are you threatening Alice?"

"No," Quinn simply said, her head turning a fraction of an inch to hold eye contact with Jasper, "I'm warning her. How did you know about him? I never mentioned his name in front of you."

"I had a vision. … A girl yelled out that she only had loyalty to Klaus, the new order before fire clouded my vision. Then two girls who sounded like you, one was terrified she asked 'how do we look so alike' and then a similar voice said she was asking the wrong questions. Then –"Alice fidgeted slightly, looking nervous, an expression that was so out of place for the cheerful pixie.

"Then?" Quinn pressed on.

"A man with a British accent threatened you, he said 'Quinn Gilbert, we finally meet.'" Jasper was attacked once more with vivid fear, worse than before and he tried to collect his bearings as Alice hurriedly continued, "And lastly, I heard you say, 'Like her, I will _never_ allow myself to die over some stupid rock.'"

Quinn inhaled and exhaled a few calming breaths, trying to monitor her emotions from the empath, but from the tortured look on his face, she knew she had drastically failed. "So you got no images, nothing?"

"No," Alice pouted suddenly, "For some reason, my visions aren't clear when they are related to you."

"I appreciate the fact that you're worried for me Alice," Quinn spoke kindly, surprising Jasper when he felt her emotions were actually heartfelt and genuine, "But I can take care of myself. You two should return home, I have business to deal with."

"We can help," Alice pleaded desperately. "The visions may not be clear, but I can tell that you are in danger. We haven't told Bella yet, we thought you should."

Quinn nodded, a small smile on her face, "And I appreciate it. But this is my secret to bear. I already have someone helping me-"noticing that Jasper and Alice weren't budging on the issue, Quinn let out an aggravated sigh, "What I am doing is complicated and you may not like the way I deal with things. So for your sake, go."

"I fought in a war, I think I can take it," Jasper smirked, his southern drawl sticking out like a sore thumb.

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Quinn checked the time on her phone and noted that she had wasted precious minutes chatting with the Cold Ones. "I don't want Edward to read your mind; it's none of his business, and frankly, he seems the type to blather to Bella, unable to keep his mouth shut. Please respect my privacy."

Stomping her foot like a petulant child, Alice pouted, "Fine! But promise me if you need any help, you'll let us know."

"I promise," she replied; although Quinn could easily block their minds from Edwards's intrusion, she was an independent person that preferred to work alone, unless she had Kat by her side. Jasper suspected the same, and so, he dragged Alice away, promising himself that he would further discuss this matter with Quinn when she returned to Forks.

For the second time that day, Quinn found herself entering Tail-lights, but this time, the woman wasn't able to duck from sight. Ordering two shots of tequila and vodka on the rocks, Quinn noted the witch standing on the end of the bar, fear the pronounced expression on her face, and she inwardly smirked.

 _Bingo – I found you witch._

Sending a quick text if success to Katherine, Quinn sipped her drink and threw back her shots at a leisure pace until closing time, making sure not to drink too much. She needed to be sober for this confrontation.

As they were readying to close, the woman sighed in relief once again when Quinn exited the bar. She changed her uniform, donned on her regular clothing and went to lock up the bar when a hand grabbed on to her wrist and covered her mouth, suppressing the shout of surprise.

Turning around, the woman's eyes widened in fear and she whimpered, trying to put on a brave façade – which she utterly failed in, "What do you want Katherine?"

Rolling her eyes, Quinn sighed, "Are you blind lady, I have blue eyes. My name is Quinn Gilbert, and _you_ , Avery Jones are fortunately the witch I had been waiting on all day. I _need_ your help."

 _ **April, 2009;**_

 _ **Pain. That was the main emotion Quinn was feeling when she finally found herself awakening from having her neck snapped.**_

 _ **Her fingers twitched at first, before her sky-blue eyes suddenly opened and she shot up from the bed, a painful gasp escaping her lips.**_

 _ **She blinked a few times and stared at her surroundings; she was still laid down on the bed of the presidential suite and other than the cringing pain in her neck, Quinn felt perfectly fine and alive.**_

" _ **Ugh, finally. Waiting for you to rise from the dead was such a bore," Katherine drawled from beside her.**_

 _ **Quinn winced as she rotated her neck to face her best friend, and cocked her head when she took note of the human boy with a bite on his neck, blood oozing from the minimal wound. Katherine shrugged nonchalantly, a sheepish expression on her face, "Was a bit hungry, you took ages to wake up. It's been a day, so I took a little nip."**_

 _ **Katherine threw the compelled man onto the bed beside Quinn, and gave her an impatient stare, "Well, what are you waiting for. Feed on him and complete your transition already."**_

 _ **Quinn stared at the blood gushing from his neck blankly, blinking a couple times in bewilderment. The blood didn't smell appetizing at all, contrary to what Katherine told her – it smelled rustic, like a wet penny, and she suppressed the shiver of disgust. Quinn edged nearer to the human, and leveled her lips to his neck before sinking her teeth into the opened wound.**_

 _ **The second the red liquid touched her lips and slid down her throat, Quinn choked and threw the man off her, wiping her mouth hurriedly onto the back of her bare arm in distaste before darting over to the adjoined bathroom and throwing up into the toilet. Ignoring the presence of a gaping and surprised Katherine, Quinn slapped minty fresh toothpaste onto her toothbrush and violently brushed her teeth, desperately ridding the rustic taste of blood from her mouth.**_

" _ **What the hell!" Katherine yelled, but she didn't sound angry, more befuddled.**_

 _ **Quinn threw her toothbrush across the mirror and snarled, staring accusingly at Katherine, "I thought you said blood was euphoric, and nothing tasted better, Kat! It was horrid. What the fuckity fuck!"**_

" _ **Shut up," Katherine hissed.**_

" _ **Don't tell me to –"**_

" _ **Shhh!" Katherine yelled, raising a hand up in silencing motion, effectively shutting Quinn up as she crossed her arms adamantly. Katherine's eyes were as round as tennis balls, her head tilted to the side as her vampire hearing listened in to something Quinn couldn't comprehend and she finally whispered out, "Oh my god!"**_

" _ **Spit it out already, Katherine!" Quinn growled.**_

" _ **I can hear your regular heartbeat. You're still human."**_

 _ **Silence. Utter and complete silence met Katherine's words**_

 _ **Finally Quinn blurted out, "What do you mean I'm still human. You fed me your blood. You SNAPPED my neck. I was dead."**_

" _ **Yeah. And then you were unconscious for a whole day when usually it takes a couple of hours, three to four maximum. Something's wrong – you're supposed to be a vampire," Katherine gasped; never in her five hundred years was she capable of getting the shock of her life – until Quinn Gilbert came along, that is.**_

" _ **Yeah, no shit Sherlock!" Quinn yelled at the top of her lungs, ripping her shirt off and starting the shower. She was all sweaty from her temporary jump through death and she needed a damn shower. "What went wron-"**_

" _ **What is that?" Katherine suddenly interjected, her eyes zeroing in on something peculiar on her back.**_

" _ **What is what, Kat?" Quinn harrumphed impatiently; she was in no mood for riddles. She was supposed to be a vampire, beginning the first day of her immortal life with Katherine by her side and safe from Klaus' clutches.**_

 _ **Strong hands attached themselves firmly on her shoulders as Katherine dragged her over to the bathroom mirror. "That!" she pointedly said, pointing at a tattoo between her shoulder blades.**_

" _ **I don't know, I've always had it. It started out as a birthmark and then evolved into this tattoo," Quinn shrugged, "Why?"**_

 _ **Katherine gaped at Quinn for a long moment, staring dumbfounded at her as though she were a crazy woman, "Tattoos don't just blossom out of thin air, Quinn! There must be a reason you have this peculiar tattoo that took this exact shape. And if I am right, which I know I am – that tattoo could be the reason why you couldn't transition into a vampire."**_

 _ **Worry flooded Quinn's veins and her face turned into one of consternation, and she finally spoke up in a terrified whisper, "What do I do now, Kat?"**_

 _ **Katherine gave her a solemn look, "WE have a witch to find."**_

 **A/N:** **There we have it; things are getting more interesting now. Did you like this chapter? Are you excited more? Sorry for the cliffhanger. XD**

 **There will be more from Paul, don't worry, we haven't seen the last of him. How did you like Jasper and Alice's intrusion … do you want Quinn to confide in them?**

 **By the way – Quinn doesn't know she is adopted and that John and Isobel are her parents, just for the FYI.**

 **R &R.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **A/N:** **Elena is very OOC in this story – so for all you Elena Gilbert fans out there, I'm sorry to disappoint, but I REALLY do hope you continue reading my story and enjoy the numerous surprises and plot twists I have coming up your way. XD**

 **Chapter 4:**

 _ **June, 2004;**_

" _ **You two have fun, and take care, alright my babies," Miranda Gilbert warned Quinn and Elena, "Stick close to Bonnie and Caroline and your father and I will pick you up when the sun goes down."**_

 _ **It was Quinn's favorite time of the year; Summer, and she was turning thirteen in a few days. The twins were by the swimming hole where they were allowed to enjoy the beautiful rays of sunshine with their friends, Bonnie Bennett and Caroline Forbes.**_

 _ **Quinn and Caroline grabbed each other's hands, letting out a loud giggle; they jumped in unison causing a large splash to form around them. "Care-Bear, we caused a Tsunami," Quinn giggled, eliciting large bouts of laughter from her best friend in Mystic Falls.**_

" _ **God, Quinn! You got my hair all wet!" Elena growled angrily, stalking over to her with her fists clenched. As usual, whenever the Gilbert twins argued, everyone else backed off, not wanting to include themselves and tread on dangerous grounds – nobody ever dared to get involved in the regular explosions caused by them.**_

 _ **Rolling her eyes, Quinn's face formed into a half-pout, half-sneer. "Stop being a killjoy, Elena. We came here to SWIM and get WET, not sit idly by and preen ourselves."**_

 _ **Elena's face turned red with rage and her eyes drifted down Quinn's body, "Oh, please, like you know the first thing about grooming, you're hideous and totally unattractive," she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder haughtily.**_

" _ **Wow. And here I thought you had at least a small capacity of brain cells. We're TWINS! If I'm ugly, then so are you, 'cause newsflash sister, other than my eye color, we're**_ _ **identical**_ _ **," Quinn scoffed. She turned her back on her and went to join Caroline and Bonnie when Elena snarled out, "Except for that gruesome mole on your back. Ugh, just looking at it is enough to turn anyone's insides. The sight of it makes me wanna hurl."**_

 _ **Quinn froze her body stiffening at her twin's words. Tears threatened to spill and her wide doe-like sky blue eyes began glistening with unshed tears. Elena knew that Quinn had always been insecure of the large deformed, blistering black mole she had on her back.**_

 _ **She could recall asking her parents when she was five, 'how come I have this ugly mole and 'Lena doesn't?' As it turned out, every year the mole would grow bigger and fatter in size, sticking out more against her olive skin. Quinn could vividly remember trying to shear it off when she was eleven after Elena made a passing crude jibe about it, and it hurt like a bitch.**_

 _ **Their dad being a doctor, informed Quinn that she would have to get used to it until she reached maturity before he had a plastic surgeon remove it – but the waiting was excruciating and Elena would mock it every chance she got.**_

 _ **Suddenly, arms embraced her shivering form and she heard Caroline yell, "Elena! Do you have to be so mean? You know Quinn hates the thing, you don't have to add insult to injury."**_

" _ **Wow, the dumb blonde comes to the rescue. You're either on my side or hers, Forbes. Pick one!" Elena groused out meanly. Bonnie, ever the faithful minion, piped up from Elena's side, "Come on, Care, Elena was just messing around. Quinn stop being a drama queen! You're ruining our day out."**_

 _ **And that was when the damn broke, and Quinn couldn't hold back her tears any longer as she fled the swimming hole; the last thing she saw was Elena's smug face and Caroline's sad frown of disapproval.**_

 _ **Quinn stumbled by the woods, violently kicking any pebbles that stood in her way and she let her hair down, covering the nauseous mole.**_

 _ **She didn't know how many hours had gone by as she sat on a huge boulder wallowing in self-pity and hatred towards her sister and Bonnie Bennett when she heard the rustling of leaves and snapping of twigs.**_

" _ **Hello?" she called out cautiously. But no one answered. Instead, the sounds of heavy footsteps drew nearer, and she whimpered, quavering in fear, "Care? Bonnie?" Nothing. "Elena?"**_

 _ **Twigs crunched louder, harsh breathing getting closer.**_

" _ **Elena, if that's you, it isn't funny!"**_

" _ **I do not know who this Elena is, little one," a dark voice drawled from behind her. Quinn's mouth opened in silent scream, yet nothing came out except for a pathetic gasp. Behind her stood a scruffy man who looked to be around forty, he had a shaggy beard and balding hair, sharp onyx eyes staring directly at her and a cruel smirk lingered on his lips, "What is a delightful child doing all by her lonesome … in the woods of all places."**_

 _ **Quinn began taking small, hesitant steps backwards, retreating from the scary stranger, "Um, nothing, mister. I'm gonna head back, my parents will be worried –"**_

" _ **I think not, child!" the man suddenly barked, his eyes glowering and he looked quite feral as he hastened to her side, taking larger strides. Before Quinn could manage to escape, a large hand curled tightly around her wrist, and another covered her mouth, suppressing any screams or pleas for help, "Don't scream, girl! No one is coming for you."**_

 _ **Rage. Fear. Terror. Anger. Sadness. Loneliness. Those were all the emotions that flickered on those gorgeous sky-blue irises as the man's horrid and hot breath wafted her face. But most important of all; Quinn's survival instincts kicked in.**_

 _ **The only change in her immobile stance were her eyes as they narrowed dangerously, turning into slits.**_

 _ **Suddenly, the man's face morphed from sinister to agony and his mouth opened wide, emitting high-pitched, excruciating screams of pain. His hands left Quinn's quivering form to hold both sides of his head and he dropped down, kneeling on the ground, shaking pathetically. His face was screwed up in torture and blood began pouring from both earholes and eyelids.**_

 _ **Not even a minute later, twelve year old Quinn Gilbert stood before the body of a dead man.**_

Avery Jones was a smart woman; during her development from childhood into adolescence, she was never known as beautiful, and therefore she never experienced popularity, parties, indulging in alcohol and men. However, Avery had a few unique qualities that made up for her lack of beauty – she was smart, with a penchant of gathering the most discrete information.

After all, Avery Jones came from a line of skilled witches.

The Jones line couldn't be traced back to prehistoric times, but from the seventeenth century, and her ancestors were known for working with the enemy; the abominations of nature. For that reason, Avery was unfortunate to be well-acquainted with the infamous Petrova, Katerina.

Cunning, ruthless, malicious and manipulative Katherine Pierce was the reason for the dwindling members in the Jones line, and Avery was the only descendent left. She would never forget the gruesome sight she walked in on when she was twenty; her grandmother and mother half-drowned in a puddle of their own blood and the cruel yet gorgeous vampire sitting comfortably on an armchair, awaiting her expected and planned arrival from spring break.

And although Avery wanted to hate the Petrova vampire, she grudgingly admitted that the awaited death sentence had always been on the horizons, looming closer with every passing year.

It all began two hundred years ago, when Avery's ancestor, Marla Jones was rescued by the seemingly passing vampire doppelgänger. Marla was heavily pregnant, nearing her eighth month and was being brutally beaten by a slave trader. If it weren't for Katherine Pierce, the Jones line would have ended with Marla, and since then, the Jones witches owed the manipulative vampire a life debt, freely giving her a lifetime of allegiance.

However, a gross and colossal mistake was made by Reyna Jones, the granddaughter of Marla, when she sold Katherine's whereabouts to the monsters of all monsters; a vampire feared above all and who coincidentally or perchance purposely turned out to be the very monster Katherine had been running from for centuries.

And that was the end of their allegiance, and also, the verbally given death sentence to every descendant of Marla and Reyna Jones. Katherine swore to Reyna before fleeing, that her descendants shall suffer her wrath from hereon now; and suffer they did.

Which is why, when Avery witnessed the Petrova Doppelgänger enter the bar she worked at, her life flashed before her eyes, and she knew that her end was near, and with it, the end of the Jones line.

But Fate wasn't known to be cruel, and so, it lent out a helping hand to the terrified and lone witch; a last chance to remedy her ancestor's gross error. Avery took it like a starving man trudging through a desert for days would drink water.

That was how Avery Jones found herself sitting in her shabby apartment with Quinn Gilbert, who turned out to be in league with Katherine, her worst nightmare.

"How do I know you would keep your end of the deal?" Avery stared at Quinn head on; she wouldn't allow herself to be intimidated by the Katherine look-alike.

Quinn scoffed, sky-blue eyes flashing with contempt, "If history serves correctly, and _do_ correct me if I'm wrong, but it was the _Jones_ who walked out on the agreement, not the Petrovas, so you have no right to question our honesty. You keep your word, and we keep ours." Of course; Avery didn't fail to identify Quinn speaking in the plural sense – meaning herself and Katherine.

Quinn Gilbert may be five hundred years younger than Katherine Pierce, but they resembled one another in spades; both gorgeous, confidant, manipulative, smart and cruel.

Gulping, Avery nodded her head in submission, "What would you have me do?"

Quinn leaned back in the sofa, collectively calm, "First, I would have you swear to secrecy with a spell, trust is an issue these days, especially with our _family history,"_ she sneered in distaste. Avery jumped to obey; she had no qualms with doing a secrecy spell, for she, unlike Reyna, had no interest in ending their line, neither was she suicidal.

Once the spell was done, Avery cocked her head, waiting for Quinn's next demand, and she was surprised to observe a hint of fear and doubt flicker across the confident beauty. "Three months ago, Katherine fed me her blood, and snapped my neck –"

"But you're not a vampire, I would sense it," Avery exclaimed in horror; for a moment, doubt in her magic crossed her mind. A witch could _always_ sense whenever a vampire was nearby.

Quinn rolled her eyes, "Obviously. And therein lies my problem. I am HUMAN!" she spat angrily, a dark cloud filling the room.

Avery's eyes widened, recognition filling her features, "You're not completely human though, you're a witch," a frown marred her forehead, "Witches could be turned into a vampire though, they would only lose their connection with nature."

"I don't give two shits about being a witch. Don't get me wrong, I would love to keep my powers, but if I had to choose one over the other, I would pick vampire _every time_ ," Quinn drawled out, leaning back leisurely, composure regained.

"Pardon my curiosity, but why do you desperately want immortal life?" Avery timidly asked; she was always perplexed, wondering the reason why humans were enticed with the life of a monster, living in the shadows and feeding on blood.

Quinn was silent for a long while, her eyes glaring a hole into Avery's skull, and the witch was about to apologize and swallow back her words when to her surprise, Quinn spoke up in clipped tones, "The Petrovas are known for their survival skills; why would I chose frail mortality over immortality."

The subtle hint hidden in the context was heard loud and clear; Quinn was being hunted and her life was in danger. Like Katherine, Quinn would become a vampire to survive.

"I feel potent power radiating off you," Avery finally whispered, "When a witch transitions into a vampire, there are two reasons. Either they weren't a powerful witch to begin with, _or_ they had lost their way and their magic – the spirits forsake them. You fit under none of the two criteria's I mentioned above, therefore, you come from a powerful line, and your magic is rejecting vampire blood from your system."

Quinn abruptly shot off from her seat, causing Avery's heart to beat a million miles an hour; it may seem ridiculous to fear a mortal, but she did not live well into her mid-thirties by underestimating powerful opponents; Quinn had dangerous magic pumping through her veins, _that_ coupled with being a Petrova, made her an _immensely_ dangerous opponent to Avery.

However, her eyes widened in surprise and an involuntary breath of relief escaped her lips when Quinn merely sat beside her and took off her top, showing the curiously shaped tattoo between her shoulder blades on her back, "Do you know what this means? There are no witches or warlocks in my family. I have a twin sister who doesn't possess magic or this tattoo."

Avery frowned, her nose scrunched up in thought … _could it be_?

"It looks familiar. I _know_ I have seen it before, but, I cannot recall, I'm sorry," Avery answered slowly, each word doused in fear. Quinn sighed in aggravation and donned on her top, "No matter, you aren't the first witch to tell me so."

"But I know someone who can help with both issues," Avery piped up; she was adamant in repaying her debt and freeing herself from Katherine's wrath, and God Damnit, nobody was to stop her from surviving.

 **-*- Fickle Love -*-**

"So, Quinn didn't tell you _why_ she's staying in a hotel in Seattle?" Bella asked in confusion, biting her lips in thought as Alice and Jasper repeated the earlier events with their run-in with her cousin.

"Nope," Alice chirped, "She was angry that we followed her there though."

"Yeah, that was to be expected," Bella shivered, a sheepish look overtaking her soft features, "Quinn is very independent. She's probably going to give me a tongue-lashing once she returns." Just then, Bella's phone rang with a message, and she frowned, "Speaking of, got a text from Quinn telling me not to worry, and she's leaving the country with a friend, and that she'll be back in a couple of days."

A gasp reverberated around the room; the Cullens and Bella stared at Alice in concern.

Her golden eyes were staring at nothing, the usual telltale sign of her being pulled into a vision, "Oh my God," she uttered in one breath. Edward growled, his fists clenching, but he didn't look angry, worriment clouded his features.

"Alice, Edward, what is it?" Carlisle asked; the patriarch didn't fail to notice his first son glancing at Bella in concern and fear.

"Quinn is on her way to Volterra," Alice spoke in a whispering voice, that name sending shivers down the spine of every occupant in the room, and it only took a few seconds for Bella to comprehend the meaning behind Alice's vision and she loudly screeched, "WHAT?"

Edward tried soothing his panicking mate and Jasper hurriedly conversed with Alice, "But I thought you don't get clear images when they are related to Quinn."

Jasper's question had everyone frown in confusion and stare at Alice questioningly.

Alice grimaced, her eyes never leaving Bella's frightened and paling face, "I wasn't looking into Quinn's future. I saw her from a different perspective."

"You mean, you mean –"Bella stuttered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Edward held Bella tightly in his strong, marble arms, "Alice's vision was of someone in the Volturi running into her." It was obvious to all in the room that Edward and Alice were delaying their response, not wanting to worry and aggravate Bella further.

"Who?" Bella growled out.

When the name was finally revealed, Bella stiffened in utmost fear and before she knew it, she collapsed into Edward's arms – fear for her cousin's life prominent in her mind and heart.

 **-*- Fickle Love -*-**

Volterra. It _had_ to be freaking Volterra, Italy. The witch couldn't have been anywhere else around the globe.

What kind of idiotic witch resided in a city swarming with Cold Ones? And not just any Cold Ones, but the freaking Volturi.

According to Avery, a smart one; the safest city to live in was Volterra since the Volturi banned vampires from feeding on the citizens to not arouse suspicion and exposure, but still … Quinn would have preferred keeping an extensive distance from the Volturi.

Her phone was ringing off the hook. It came to a big surprise when Quinn turned on her phone after finally landing in Italy, to find over a hundred calls from Bella and each member of the Cullens. She merely sent Bella a text that she was perfectly healthy and alive and ignored all calls; she didn't have time for distractions.

Katherine was meeting Quinn and Avery by the anonymous witch's house since they would need her fire-power and supernatural strength with this powerful witch – according to Avery, she might not be as inclined to help; therefore, they would need to force her and threaten her, possible cause her bodily harm, and nobody excelled in those than the illusive and infamous Katherine Pierce.

Clambering out of the cab, the two witches quickened their pace once they neared the clock tower. However, just as they were about to turn the corner, Quinn bumped into a solid wall and toppled down onto the concrete ground.

How odd; why did the wall feel like cloth? The answer to her silent question was clear when she found herself staring at a hooded figure, donned from head to toe in black.

"Scusi signora," a musical soprano voice chuckled politely and a pale hand was thrust under her nose. Not wanting to be rude, Quinn calmly placed her dainty hand in the much larger ones, and repressed a shudder from the icy touch – yup, definitely a Cold One.

"Sorry for running into you, sir. Pardon us," Quinn flashed the Cold One a winning smile and linked arms with Avery, passing the stilled figure that seemed frozen in place.

But before the two witches managed to pace forward, the Cold One's hand softly yet firmly held on to Quinn's arm, "Scusi, may I enquire your name?"

Avery had a bewildered look on her face at this odd turn of events, yet she stayed silent and allowed Quinn to converse with the peculiar and pushy man. "I'm sorry, but I don't see how it is any of your business. We must take our leave, excuse me," Quinn's voice never wavered, and she didn't let on the knowledge of what he was. Her tone was polite, yet crisp as she untangled her arm from his cold grip and dragged Avery forward, disappearing round the corner to meet Katherine.

Quinn would ponder the confudling happening at a later time; at the current moment, she was close to gaining her freedom and could almost taste it in the air.

Quinn Gilbert wasn't about to lose sight on her prize and end up as desert.

"About time," a snarky voice drifted from the shadows. Avery whimpered in fear, griping Quinn's arm tightly as Katherine emerged, her smirk firmly in place, amusement dancing in her eyes at the unbridled terror the witch had shown with her present.

"Avery Jones. How lovely to see you _in person_. Watching you unseen was becoming a major bore," the sinister smile grew on Katherine's face, "However, watching you twitch and jump over the tiniest sounds were amusing over the decade."

"Kat, play nice. Avery is here to _help_ us," Quinn said in a scolding tone, yet to those who knew her well, the hidden glee was eminent; Quinn was enjoying the witch's fear.

Avery whimpered and shook with fright when Quinn released herself from her hold and embraced one of the most feared vampire in a suffocating hug. "I missed you, Kitty Kat," adoration poured, hugging each word.

"Missed you more, Quinny," Katherine flashed her descendant a genuine smile, baffling Avery further. The vampire then shot the witch a glaringly evil look, "You betray us, I won't waste time snapping your neck, got it?"

"Yes," Avery squeaked.

Katherine smirked, looping arms with Quinn, "Well, then. Let's get this show on the road." Quinn walked forward and firmly knocked twice. They only had to wait a minute before the door opened and a figure appeared.

"The Petrova Doppelgängers and the last remaining Jones witch. My, my, what can I do for you?"

 **-*- Fickle Love -*-**

"Brother, what ails you?" Caius boomed out in an icy tone, causing Marcus to shift slightly in his seat, his regular bored face fronting their third brother who just entered the throne room with a frown marring his perfectly sculptured features.

Aro sat on his throne with elegant grace and caressed his chin in ponderment, "I stumbled upon a befuddling incident, brothers," each word was weighed with doubt and confusion, "As I took my regular stroll by the tower with the action of clearing my mind, a human girl collided against my person."

Caius glowered, interest lost with his cheerful and dramatic brother's beginning speech, "And … did she taste euphoric?"

Aro scowled at his uptight younger brother, "We don't feed on civilians of Volterra, brother," he chastised. Shooting him a warning glance, Aro carried on regaling the perplexing incident, "Naturally, being the _gentleman_ I am, I offered her my hand."

Now Caius was curious and he leaned forward, "What did you see?"

"Nothing."

Boredom vanished, only to be replaced by confusion on Marcus' face, "What do you mean, Aro?"

"Much like Isabella Swan, I saw _nothing_. A vast abyss of emptiness; a black void. It is very discombobulating brothers," Aro huffed; he may love puzzles, and he enjoyed solving riddles, but this girl was an unknown entity, a perplexity, a human buried in a vast population, never to be seen again.

"It is not like you to allow a gifted human to escape, brother," Caius frowned.

"She was not alone. I couldn't exactly kidnap her against her will. I asked for her christened name, yet she seemed unaffected by me and unimpressed. She politely refused and went on her way," Aro explained. "She had the face of an angel however; vampires could not compare to her unique beauty; even Rosalie Cullen with her enhanced vampiric beauty."

"You are comparing a _human_ ," Caius sneered with the utmost distaste and malice, "with the incomparable beauty of vampires, Aro!"

"What course of action will you take?" Marcus asked over Caius' voice, knowing perfectly well that Aro would never let a human he was interested in escape him.

A Cheshire grin filled with pearly teeth took over his features, and his eyes glimmered with glee, "Find her of course. … _Demetri_?"

 _ **June, 2004;**_

 _ **Quinn was found hours later, well over midnight kneeling over the corpse of the stranger with tears rapidly leaking down her face, her eyes puffed up and cheeks blotchy.**_

" _ **Quinn, oh my God, Quinn. Honey, what –"Uncle John's familiar voice paused abruptly and his eyes widened when they fell upon the state of his niece and the dead man, his face marred with blood. His hands instinctively wrapped around her shaking form, "What happened?"**_

" _ **He attacked me, Uncle John. He wouldn't let me leave, and grabbed me. I-I, I don't know what happened, I was so angry and then he began screaming and bleeding and-and … h-he d-d-died," she choked out in a small voice.**_

" _ **Shhh, shhh, don't worry, I'll take care of it, come here," he cooed soothingly, rocking her body.**_

 _ **Quinn buried her face in the crook of John's neck and continued sobbing her heart out. She barely heard the uttered words as he called Sherriff Liz Forbes and her parents.**_

 _ **The next thing Quinn was aware of was being carried into her room and tucked into bed.**_

 _ **Ever since that event, Quinn never departed from her room; food was constantly brought up to her, and she only made regular visits to the bathroom. Other than that, she stayed in a depressive state with the curtains drawn shut all day, staring absentmindedly at the wall opposite her.**_

 _ **In her catatonic state, Quinn wasn't deaf; she heard the hushed discussions between her parents and her Uncle John who extended his visit, unable to leave Quinn in her depressed ailment. They were worried over the incident and her state – but one issue was vividly clear: Quinn had killed a human being, another person; a living, breathing person was dead because of her. She was a murderer; blood stained her hands.**_

 _ **Other than her uncle, Aunt Jenna and parents, Jeremy would continuously knock on her door every single day, only to be denied entry. Caroline was a constant visitor as well, but would always leave with tears running down her face when she wasn't bidden entry. Elena was the only person that never bothered, and honestly, Quinn was glad – it was her fault; if she didn't bully her, none of this would have happened.**_

 _ **June 22**_ _ **nd**_ _ **finally arrived, and it was the twin's birthday, yet Quinn declined celebrating it with a simple and dull 'no'. Uncle John proposed staying behind.**_

 _ **And that when everything changed.**_

 _ **Just as the clock struck twelve, a sharp pain emanated from Quinn's back and a piercing, agonizing and excruciating, ear-splitting scream escaped her, thundering around the house. Sensory deprivation; Quinn lost all sense, she couldn't feel anything but the torturous pain, and so, she didn't notice a frantic Uncle John barge into her room and cradle her into his arms.**_

 _ **Ten minutes later, the pain dissipated and Quinn was left with an inflamed back.**_

 _ **She could hear her uncle gasp in shock when he took off her shirt, and as she looked in the mirror, Quinn noticed the ugly mole was gone and in its place was a gorgeous black tattoo in the shape of a phoenix doused in flames.**_

 **A/N:** **Did you like this chapter? I am so giddy right now, I can't wait to continue this story and read your reviews.**

 **Finally I revealed what the tattoo is. … AND how did you like her little bump with Aro? ;)**

 **R &R.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 5:**

 _ **Volterra, 1360;**_

 _ **A tall figure draped from head to toe in a plain black cloak softly knocked twice on the door of her dear friend and fellow witch; the hooded figure stood waiting for a whole minute before the door opened wide, "My dear friend, Agatha may I enter your humble abode?"**_

" _ **Ingrid, of course. Enter, enter," Agatha smiled widely, bowing her head in reverence, surprised yet humbled by her visit. Seating her on the futon, Agatha politely asked if she required any refreshments, however the elder witch merely shook her head in negative and pleaded her to take a seat.**_

" _ **I am here of utmost importance, Agatha. I am afraid to ask much of you my old friend; I bequeath to you an heirloom of incredible value to my Coven for safekeeping in your safe abode. Do you accept?" Ingrid asked in a mystical voice, the air around them swirling with potent energy.**_

 _ **Agatha La Rue shrunk into herself, comprehending the rare magic being displayed by High Priestess, Ingrid Phoenix; the La Rue's response would be sealed with a vow, sealed by such rare powerful magic cast by only those with blood of the Phoenix running through their veins.**_

" _ **I accept, Ingrid Phoenix, High Priestess of the Phoenix Coven," Agatha vowed, each word ringing with a solid promise. Agatha had just tied the magic line of her and her future descendants to the vow, but she couldn't bring herself to care – being asked for a favor by the Phoenix Coven, and the High Priestess herself, was an astronomical honor bestowed to witches of all multitudes.**_

 _ **Ingrid inhaled a deep sigh of relief before inserting her hand into the inside pouch of her cloak and withdrawing a thick-bounded grimoire, "I do apologize, Agatha, my old friend, for any inconvenience holding on to such a small valuable may cause you or your descendants. But you know the old adage; size matters not, it makes no difference."**_

 _ **Agatha reached out for the grimoire, reverently placing it beside her on the futon, "I vow to you, I will ensure my descendants comprehend the importance of its safe-keeping."**_

 _ **In return, Ingrid granted her old friend a genuine smile of gratitude, "You must understand, Agatha; years from now, possibly a decade, a century, half a millennia, or perchance even a**_ _ **millennia**_ _ **, the**_ _ **Chosen**_ __ _ **Descendant**_ _ **of the Phoenix Coven shall hail your doorstep desperately seeking answers for enigmatic questions neither you nor anybody else could remedy. It is of paramount magnitude the descendant of the La Rue line bequeath this grimoire to her person."**_

" _ **Neither I, nor my descendants shall fail you, High Priestess," Agatha breathed out respectfully, bowing down lowly.**_

 _ **Ingrid smiled fondly and placed a dainty wizened hand on the crown of Agatha's head, "I know you shall not, my dear friend. Otherwise, I would not have proudly elected the La Rue line to administer my wish."**_

" _ **If I may be so bold to ask, High Priestess, Ingrid; but why the meticulous planning? Why not the Phoenix Coven bequeath the chosen descendant themselves in due time?" Agatha stuttered, knowing the audacity of her question knew no limit.**_

 _ **Ingrid's facial expression turned forlorn, and she ominously spoke, "Desperate times call for desperate measures, my dear Agatha. Horrid and perilous times lay ahead. I have been privileged a glimpse into the future, and it does not bode well for either of us. The fate of the future shall lay in the hand of the Chosen Descendant of the Phoenix Coven."**_

"You know who we are?" Katherine hissed, keeping a vice grip on Quinn's wrist.

The wizened woman on the other side flashed them a gentle smile, "No need to fear me, Katerina Petrova, I offer you no harm. It is the outside elements that do, _hmm_?" The witch's freakishly white-blue irises flickered over to Quinn, a knowing grin curled on her lips, "Quinn Gilbert, your arrival was expected, almost _written in the stars_. Oh, where are my manners, do come in, come in, you too, Avery Jones, _come_ _in_."

Cautiously, the Petrova doppelgängers stepped over the threshold with Avery scurrying in behind them for protection. They held composure as the door snapped softly shut from behind them and the wizened witch ushered them over to the living room, offering them a seat on the antique futon and strangely, a tray of steaming tea and coffee, four cups awaiting them.

"You weren't kidding when you said you expected us; three extra cups? How did you know Katherine, Avery and I were visiting at this precise moment?" Quinn asked bluntly, not bothering to beat around the bush, an action that caused the wizened witch to smile widely, displaying crooked and rotten front teeth.

The witch busied herself by bustling around the table pouring drinks for her three guests. She did not deem it appropriate to speak until she had offered refreshment and sat comfortably on the armchair, "One as old and powerful as I, does not reach such a hoary age without casting a few precautions, _hmm_? The instant you three stepped over the borders of Volterra, I was alerted."

"So, you, um, you know why we're here?" Avery squeaked hesitantly; the Petrova doppelgängers couldn't help but roll their eyes at the potent fear the Jones witch was displaying so openly.

"Conceivably yes, conceivably _no_. I did however; come to you in a dream in the form of a disembodied voice, offering you the solution to your desperate plea for survival. It was I who sent you the message to refer my name and location for when Quinn Gilbert contacts you for aid," the wizened witch uttered, the smug smirk hidden behind her teacup.

"That was _you_?!" Avery asked hoarsely, eyes wide with disbelief.

"You manipulated us," Katherine growled, dropping her teacup onto the coffee table and shooting up to her feet in an instant. Before the vampire could grab Quinn and make an escape, the wizened witch boomed out, "No! Dearie, your paranoia knows no bounds. There is no manipulation involved if I have the answer to your riddle, _hmm_?"

" _Who_ are _you_?" Quinn asked curiously; she had never before had the acquaintance of meeting an omnipresent witch in all the months of roaming around with Katherine.

The wizened witch beamed, a shark-like smile appearing on her face, "My name, is Alicivoire La Rue, but you may call me Alicia. I have been expected you for a while now Quinn Gilbert, and not just me. Your arrival has been foretold; countless of my La Rue ancestors have been anticipating your arrival, and here you are, _six hundred and forty nine years later_."

"Say what now?" Quinn deadpanned, unable to utter an articulate response. Katherine, the manipulative five hundred years old vampire herself, sat there gaping unattractively at Alicia while Avery squeaked quite loudly, staring at Quinn in awed reverence.

"Why? Why wait so long for me? I don't understand," Quinn breathed out once she collected her bearing.

Alicia smiled gently over at her, all smugness dissipated only to be replaced by compassion, "Odd things haven't occurred to you yet, dearie? A specific tattoo, followed by a series of unexplainable events?"

"Y-Yes, I have a tattoo in the shape of a phoenix between my shoulder blades, it appeared on the eve of my thirteenth birthday, after I-, after I killed a man that meant me harm," Quinn informed her quietly.

Alicia nodded knowingly, "Yes, you accidentally gave him an aneurysm. Unfortunately for him, he was not a supernatural factor and his brain cells could not supernaturally heal. Your magic protected you dear child, don't offer misplaced guilt, he was a bad man, dearie."

"How did you know about that event?" Katherine, ever the suspicious one, snapped.

Alicia grinned creepily, "Why, Katerina Petrova, my line was entrusted to hand over a certain heirloom to the Chosen Descendant of the Phoenix Coven foretold to bless my doorstep. For six hundred and forty nine years, countless of La Rue witches patiently awaited the Chosen Descendant to arrive. Once the mark was activated, I was notified straightaway. And here we are, four years later of waiting patiently for Quinn Gilbert to arrive."

There was a collective silence around the room as each woman digested the unbelievable news Alicia had freely given them. Once they had drained their cups completely, Alicia's face morphed into solemnity and she said, "Now dearie, you came to me for a reason. Do tell, I am too old to be left in suspense."

"Well, the tattoo is one of the reasons I am here. I want to understand why I have this tattoo in the first place. No one from my family are witches, and my twin sister doesn't have a phoenix tattoo either," Quinn spoke, unable to mask her excitement at finally gaining answers.

"Unfortunately dearie, I cannot help you there," Alicia gravely told her.

Katherine fumed, having had enough of all the damn riddles, "You _just_ _said_ that you've been expecting her. What do you mean you _cannot_ offer any answers. _That's bullshit_!"

"I never said that Katerina Petrova. I said I have been awaiting her arrival," Alicia suddenly stood up and ambled over to the other room. The sounds of moving objects could be heard before she finally shuffled back to their side, an archaic thick-bounded book held reverently in her hands. "I have been entrusted to give you this, dearie."

Shakily, Quinn accepted the book and stared at it in awed shock; it was magnificently bounded, the front of the book designed in real gold with a phoenix engrained in the middle with ruby gems. The phoenix was identical to the tattoo on her back, and she couldn't help but stutter out her thanks.

Katherine and Avery immediately recognized the book for what it was, and chanted in sync, "It's a grimoire."

" _One_ of the numerous grimoires belonging to the Phoenix Coven," Alicia sharply corrected. "I know not the location of the others."

" _What_ _do_ you know? Please, just confide in me what you are aware of in regards to the Phoenix Coven," Quinn implored her desperately, setting the grimoire aside and offering the wizened witch her full attention.

"Very well. The Phoenix Coven began with a High Priestess by the family name of Phoenix. They are a collective group of powerful witches blessed by the High Priestess. Unfortunately, the past and the history of the Phoenix Coven are very skewed. The La Rue witches were trusted by the High Priestess, Ingrid Phoenix in the year 1360 to carry out one job, and that was to hand over the grimoire by your side."

Alicia took a deep breath and took a long sip of water, parching her dry throat before continuing, enjoying the attention her audience was giving her, "That is the end of all the facts I can offer you about the Phoenix Coven; however, I do know that a Protector was assigned to the Chosen Descendant, who so happens to be you, dearie," Alicia nodded toward a bewildered Quinn. "This Protector was chosen by the last Phoenix witch of the Phoenix Coven before they died out; only the Protector would be able to bequeath to you the remaining grimoires and the coveted information you seek. The Phoenix Coven was a secretive bunch, I am afraid that is all the information you will be receiving until you discover who the Chosen Protector is."

"Well that narrows it down," Katherine grumbled in annoyance; she hated riddles and secrets more than anything.

Avery piped up, wanting to be helpful to the Petrovas, "So this Protector is an immortal?"

"Oh _no_ , immortality isn't a fundamental attribute. Like Quinn here, he could be human or a witch recently born with the job of the Protector from his ancestor," Alicia speculated.

"Oh, okay," Quinn mumbled lamely, unable to offer an eloquent reply to describe her feelings about all the secrecy and confusion.

Alicia smiled compassionately, "In time, all shall be revealed. You must muster patience, dearie. I sense however, that is not all you wish to ask, _hmm_?"

Katherine decided to take charge, "Three months ago, I fed Quinn some blood and snapped her neck. As you can see, she's still human, which is a big problem for us –"

"Since you seek immortality as a form of protection from Niklaus," Alicia grinned, radiating smugness and exhilaration, "Oh, don't be so surprised, Katerina Petrova. Your plight is widely-known, as is Niklaus' desperate plight to rid himself of his curse. He seeks your death, along with the blood of the human Petrova doppelgänger. In England, five hundred and seventeen years ago today, you chose vampirism in a desperate move to save your life, and survive."

Katherine gaped once again at the La Rue witch's impressive resources and omnipresence.

"Like her, I will _never_ allow myself to die over some stupid rock!" Quinn growled angrily, but all the occupants of the room detected the fear that seeped into her tone. "My twin may be an exact replica of Katherine, since the color of my eyes is the only distinguished feature of the Petrova doppelgänger, but that does _not_ mean I'm in the clear. Klaus could use me, eye color be damned, I am _still_ a Petrova doppelgänger."

"Yes, dearie, you are," Alicia whispered ominously, blue-white eyes glistening with sorrow at her horrible fate. "You will not be safe until you have succumbed to immortality, dearie."

"But then, what about her witch genes? Isn't she the Chosen Descendant of the Phoenix Coven? It will all be for naught if she becomes a vampire," Avery vehemently announced; in her opinion, Quinn Gilbert had been bestowed with the utmost gift, potent power and she was throwing it all away in fear of Klaus.

Before Quinn or Katherine could snap a retort at her, Alicia spoke up in a mystical tone, "She is the Chosen Descendant, Avery Jones. Vampirism or not, she will continue being a Phoenix Witch, _that_ is inevitable. The Phoenix Coven abides by different rules than other Servants of Nature."

"Screw that for now, Quinn would prefer to survive right now," Katherine snarled; Quinn was the first and only person she truly opened up to in over five hundred years of roaming alone and manipulating others to survive, and she'd be damned if she was about to lose her to Klaus.

Quinn swallowed loudly and bobbed her head, eyes beseeching Alicia's, "Please Alicia, Katherine and I have been searching for answers for three months. Tell us what you know."

"I have the answer you seek. I know of a way. However, you will be entering a perilous path of which there is no going back from. Do you accept? Are you willing to be immortal at all costs?" Alicia asked mysteriously. Avery was the only occupant having second thoughts, but the decision was Quinn's, and Quinn's alone.

"I would do _anything_ to survive," Quinn said solemnly, and there wasn't a sliver of doubt in her tone.

A shark-like, shit-eating and honest to god, creepy smile curled around Alicia's lips, threatening to split her face in half.

"You are a powerful witch, dearie. As the Chosen Descendant of the Phoenix Coven and only remaining member, your witch genes expelled Katerina Petrova's vampire blood from your system, allowing you to pass through the veil of death and back to your fragile mortal life. Over the millennia, countless of witches and warlocks succumbed to vampirism, be it forced or by choice; they were allowed the life of immortality because they were both weak witches and warlocks, _or_ they lost their way, and nature, the spirits, _abandoned them._ "

Avery nodded in comprehension; that was verbatim to what she had informed Quinn in Seattle. But the wizened witch wasn't finished.

"In over a millennia, there is only _ONE_ recorded Coven of powerful witches and warlocks that were allowed to be transitioned into vampires. You know of whom I speak of, Katerina Petrova," Alicia stated, her eyes dilating in excitement.

And she was correct; Katherine's face morphed into utmost terror, hands clenching and unclenching while she rapidly shook her head in denial. Finally, she spat out, "You're fucking kidding me! _Them_?"

"Who? _Who_ are you both talking about?" Quinn yelled impatiently.

"Why, the Original family of course, dearie," and Alicia reveled in the joined fear of Quinn and Avery once she revealed the answer. "Esther Mikaelson was a powerful witch, of course, not _as_ powerful as the Phoenix witches, but I digress. The Original Witch cast the Immortality Spell on her five children after the death of her youngest son, creating the Original Vampires. _That_ is the only loophole for an immensely powerful witch such as yourself in becoming a vampire. However, because you are more powerful than the Mikaelsons, you _will_ be able to retain your powers."

Once Quinn digested all that Alicia informed them, she slowly recapped, "So, what you are telling me, is that the only way to escape the beings I am personally running away from, is to ask said beings for their help? That's some ironic shit right there. There's got to be another way," Quinn shouted, her eyes widening in fear. She could practically see her life flashing before her eyes and the stalemate she found herself in.

"Regrettably, there is not dearie. The answer you seek is in the Original Witch's grimoire, in the hands of the Original Vampires," Alicia said solemnly, yet her face was twisted in nasty glee. It did not take Einstein to inform them that the La Rue witch was deeply enjoying Quinn's current predicament.

"Oh come now," Alicia flippantly uttered, waving her hand in a jesting demeanor, "It is universally known, that there is a noble Original roaming around the Earth. I am sure he would aid you, if you have the _right_ bargaining chip to offer."

" _Elijah!_ You want us to seek an audience with _Elijah_?" Katherine viciously retorted in disbelief, "He wants nothing but my head on a platter!"

"There you go! A wonderfully magnificent bargaining chip," Alicia crowed, letting out a disturbing cackle in the process. Katherine glared at her in a horrified trance.

Quinn vehemently shook her head and firmly said, "Over my dead body. I'll find another way. Like hell am I going to sell Kat out." And Katherine's heart went out to her descendant; never before had anyone protected her quite fiercely.

" _Hmm_ , but Katerina Petrova would sell you out in a heartbeat if it meant saving her precious immortal life, _hmm_?" Alicia retorted in glee.

"I would _never_ ," Katherine spat out, her hand fisted in rage.

"I am just jesting dearies. Don't take an old woman such as myself so seriously. You both have an unbreakable bond," Alicia smiled genuinely, all creepiness vanished. In that moment, Quinn's phone blared, disturbing the peace. Sighing loudly, she stood up and ambled over to the other room.

"Izzy, now's really _not_ a good time –"

" _You're in Volterra_? Why the hell would you go to the Volturi's lair, Quinn, it's swarming with Cold Ones!" Bella hissed over the phone, and Quinn couldn't help but wince at the venomous anger displayed by her usually soft and laidback cousin. Katherine flittered into the room, her face shining in concern as she eavesdropped into the conversation with her vampire hearing.

"I have business here, Izzy. An informant of mine lives here, what do you expect me to do?" Quinn growled back; stupid pixie Cold One must have had a premonition about her. Speaking of which – "I thought Alice couldn't have clear visions about me."

"She can't! She had a vision of Aro! And guess what? _You_ bumped into _him_ of all people! One of the three Kings of the Cold Ones. You couldn't have, like I don't know, run into any one _other_ _than_ three-thousand-year-old mindreading Cold One!" Bella hissed angrily.

Quinn grimaced and went to sit beside a gravely concerned Katherine, "Shit. That was him?"

"Yes, _that was him_. And unfortunately, he's interested in you, Quinny. Alice had another vision a few minutes ago; he's sending Demetri after you," Bella informed her, and Edward could be heard flittering around in the background, trying to calm her down.

Ignoring the fact that the best tracker in the world who had never before failed in finding anyone was after her, Quinn said, "Look, Izzie. I understand that you're worried for my safety, but really, I can take care of myself. I'm not some defenseless human."

"Uh, yes you are," Bella shot back incredulously. Katherine mouthed to her 'she doesn't know you're a witch and that you have me by your side.'

Sighing loudly, Quinn retorted, "Just chillax, take deep breaths and I'll see you when I get back to Washington, kay?"

"Yeah, right. About that, Quinny, _when_ exactly are you getting back? I know your message said tomorrow, -"

"Yeah, circumstances change, Izzy. I'm gonna be a bit delayed, but don't worry about Uncle John, I'll send him a message."

"What, no, Quinn –"

"You take care, now. Ba-bye. Say hello to the Cullens." Snapping her phone shut, Quinn gave Katherine a worried yet deadpanned stare.

"Who the hell is Demetri? And while you're answering that, who is Aro?" Katherine asked in perplexity. Quickly, Quinn explained everything there was to know about the Cold Ones, her cousin engaged to Edward and the Cullens who were vegetarians and then the Volturi, each member and their gifts.

After considering all the overload of information Quinn just threw at her, Katherine nodded in determination, "Okay, first things first, we need to get the hell out of this Cold One infested town, and begin our search for Elijah, including a miraculous bargaining chip. About Demetri," the Petrova Vampire chuckled humorlessly, "Let's see how close he can get to you with a vampire by your side. I'll vamp speed you to the airport so we don't cross paths with him."

Nodding in acquiescent, the two Petrovas ambled into the living room.

"Alicia, thank you so much for all you have done for me today. You have my sincerest gratitude," Quinn smiled at her. Alicia stumbled onto her feet, "Oh, dearie, the pleasure is all mine. Merely _helping_ the Chosen Descendant and relieving me of my vow is welcome enough. You take care, dearie, and don't be strangers, _hmm_?'"

"So," Avery fumbled, glancing at the witch and vampire warily, "Am I free now?"

"Yes, little Jones. As long as you do not betray us, you can proceed to continue living your frail mortal life. But remember, don't make the same mistake as Reyna," Katherine threatened, her eyes turning vampire red for the added effect. Avery nodded fervently and departed from their side, going her separate way to the airport.

They were nearing the clock tower when Katherine suddenly yanked Quinn behind her, ears perked up, listening with her impeccable vampire hearing for a specific something her human counterpart couldn't make out. She cussed beneath her breath, grabbed Quinn's arm and vampire flashed.

Quinn didn't know how much time passed, but when Katherine finally stopped running, her whole surroundings began spinning and she suffered extreme vertigo, worse than her horrible hangovers from excessive tequila and vodka.

Katherine kept a firm arm around her to balance her weight and grimaced in pity, "Feeling better?"

"Kinda," Quinn woozily said, both hands clasped on each side of her head, blinking away the extreme dizziness.

"Sorry, heard that Demetri fellow talking with some Felix guy about you being close by," Katherine wisecracked with a small smile, "We need to get the hell outta dodge, pronto Quinny."

 **-*- Fickle Love -*-**

In Richmond, two identical breathtaking women found themselves knocking on the door of a Residential Suite, awaiting entry.

The door opened, and they found themselves facing a dark-haired girl with identical onyx eyes framed by a pale heart-shaped and sullen face. "Can I help you?" she snapped rudely, rolling her eyes as though she had better things to do than entertain guests.

"Yes, sweetheart, and you can start by respecting others and changing your charming hostess demeanor," the brown-eyed woman snapped.

"Ugh, _wha_ tever. Time wasters," she mumbled, moving to slam the door shut in her face, but her blue-eyed companion shoved her hand forward, halting the door mid-way. "What the hell-"

"Listen up sunshine. We didn't travel all the way from Italy to be held back by your sunny disposition. Call your almanac vampire boyfriend out here _right now_ before my friend here, busts the door down and decides that you would be more useful as her lunch!"

The girl began shivering in fear, her nails digging into the painted door, chipping it off slightly, but she needed not speak a word, because at that exact moment, her vampire boyfriend flashed over by her side, staring at her in concern. He had cute features with sandy blonde hair and cerulean eyes; he had a well-trimmed beard and dressed neatly. When he went to berate the two women for scaring his human girlfriend, his jaw dropped down to his feet in immeasurable astonishment and his eyes bulged out.

" _Katerina Petrova_ , and … a human doppelgänger. _Oh my god_ , it is a pleasure, a huge pleasure, please come in, come in," the vampire beamed, opening the door wider and politely gesturing admittance with his hand, "It is such an honor to meet you, Miss Petrova, or is it Pierce?"

"Pierce, thank you. I'm glad to see you have better manners than your pet here," Katherine snarled, veins creeping below her eyelid when she stared at the girl who flinched backwards and hid pitifully behind her vampire boyfriend.

"Sorry about her, Alice gets cranky this time of the month," he chuckled awkwardly, trying to make light of the situation and succeeding in garnering a smile from both Petrova women. He suddenly stared at the human doppelgänger, "I'm _so_ sorry, pardon my manners. And you are?"

"Quinn, Quinn Gilbert."

"I'm Slater. But you already knew that from what I heard; you came all the way from Italy to see me, _really_?" he looked like an excited kid in Toys 'R' Us, and Quinn found herself liking the almanac.

"Yes," Katherine said in clipped tones, "We're not gonna dawdle around. We need a favor from you."

"Fr-From, from m-me? What can I do for you?" Slater stuttered; although he was an old vampire, Katherine Pierce's exploits were phenomenal, and it was a very well-known fact, if anyone dared to cross her or even _think_ of betraying her, they'd end up dead in a heartbeat. Alice was lucky that Katherine seemed to be in a good mood; otherwise she'd be six feet under.

Sitting down on the offered couch, Quinn flashed him a charming smile, "Slater, you're well-versed in all things supernatural. So obviously, you'd know the importance of who I am, or presumably, _what_ I am."

"The Petrova Doppelgänger, but-"Slater's face dawned in recognition, and a gasp escaped his mouth, "The Curse. _The Sun and the Moon Curse_. But of course."

"Living as long as I have, I've heard things," Katherine smoothly interjected, "You being the vampire almanac; we _need_ you to draw out Elijah. As soon as you've gained contact with him, inform him that the _human_ Petrova Doppelgänger wishes to have an audience with him at Forks, Washington. Can you do that?"

"But, that's suicidal. The doppelgänger is meant to break the curse," Slater said in hushed tones, and Quinn was actually touched that the vampire almanac feared for her life.

Flashing him a genuine smile, Quinn handed him a box, "Don't worry Slater; we know what we're doing. Now this box contains vervain. Original Vampires can compel regular vamps. On the off chance that you find yourself facing Elijah in person, make sure you've had a few drops of vervain so that he _cannot_ compel you. Take this crucial information as payment for contacting Elijah for us."

"I must stress on this; it is _imperative_ he doesn't know I accompanied Quinn or even an inkling about her existence," Katherine stated matter-of-factly. Slater nodded, his face morphed in surprise; chuckling nervously, he said, "Wow, I didn't know Original Vampires could compel us, I guess I learn something new every day; and being an almanac, it is payment enough. Thank you. I'll get on Craigslist and try and get in contact with him right away."

Katherine and Quinn traded determined looks; _step one, done._ Hopefully Elijah would hear Quinn out before heads roll.

 **-*- Fickle Love -*-**

Maniacal cackling could be heard booming quite viciously in the air of a shabby, antediluvian house by the streets of Volterra.

A wizened old woman switched from humming an ominous tune to cackling with fervor with every minute that passed by as she rocked to and fro on her rocking chair.

The witch suddenly shot up to her feet, her back hunched and shuffled her way over to the long-length mirror to observe her reflection; short, wispy matted brown hair, streaked with many silver strands and a balding patch on her right temple; saggy wrinkles around her cheeks, neck and especially the corners of her eyes; but the most vivid feature was the eyes, they were a hollowed blue shifting to a blind white with old age.

A sinister grin flittered onto Alicivoire La Rue's face, showing hideously deformed and rotten yellow teeth, and once again, she cackled to herself, rubbing her hands together in anticipated glee.

"My plan is going along splendidly. Ah, my dearie Petrova, you do not know what you signed up for when you came to me." She had the nasty habit of speaking to herself in loud voices. Cackling louder, she shrilly spoke, "A bit longer dearie and you'll be _mine._ It is always useful to have an Original in one's debt, cursed to do one's bidding for all of eternity."

The citizens and tourists of Volterra ran past the old, antediluvian house that stood idly by being the only house not renovated in centuries; they scurried by as the sounds of ominous and sinister cackling echoed loudly in their ears, the deformed and raucous sound ringing even as they distanced themselves far away from the petrifying habitat.

 _ **Paris, 1360;**_

" _ **Mother,**_ _ **where**_ _ **have you been?" Clarisse Phoenix' face shone with worry and relief once Ingrid, the High Priestess sauntered over to her.**_

 _ **Ingrid grimaced at her youngest beloved daughter of three, "I have set out to our La Rue friend, Agatha. She vowed to pass down my grimoire to the Chosen Descendant when the time comes."**_

" _ **Again with this Chosen Descendant drivel, mother," Julie Phoenix, middle child of Ingrid, scoffed.**_

" _ **You know what I claim to have seen. Not only I, but Eugené as well," Ingrid firmly spoke, referring to her eldest child, "The future of the Phoenix Coven is grim my daughters. Our line shall die out soon, we MUST prepare the ritual."**_

" _ **Mother –"**_

" _ **No –"**_

" _ **The line will be forfeit. We shall despair and decline with every passing decade sisters," Eugené spoke loudly as she joined the fray, standing supportively by her mother's side, "You know of what we speak, Clarisse, Julie. Mother and I have both been blessed with the vision. We**_ _ **must**_ _ **ready ourselves before our Coven expires."**_

" _ **What was the purpose of bequeathing that La Rue witch your first grimoire mother? Why give the 'Chosen Descendant' you speak of that specific grimoire?" Julie asked, changing tactics.**_

" _ **It shall provide her fact instead of fiction. Truth instead of lies. Until the Chosen Protector locates her and educates her," Ingrid answered at once.**_

" _ **Mother, sister, are you certain of these**_ _ **visions**_ _ **?" Clarisse asked yet again, trying not to show her skepticism.**_

" _ **Yes!" Eugené clarified.**_

" _ **Come, my dutiful daughters. We must prepare for the preservation of the future of the Phoenix Coven," Ingrid announced in clear tones.**_

 **A/N:** **Voila, there you go dear readers, chapter 5 is done.**

 **Keep in mind; this chapter is of extreme importance! Every word, every character introduced; EVERYTHING! So, make sure you don't forget anything for the next chapters to come.**

 **I hope you enjoyed it! XD**

 **R &R.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 6:**

 _ **June, 2005;**_

 _ **Quinn Gilbert trudged over to La Push, given the duty to collect her brother from the Blacks where he decided to spend the day with Jacob, an endeared friend of the family. Finally reaching the cozy house, Quinn knocked lightly on the door, beaming brightly once she came face-to-face with her Uncle Billy from his spot in the wheelchair.**_

" _ **Quinn-Pea, you're early. I wasn't expecting you to pick up Jeremy for another hour or so," Billy spoke up in his usual grave voice, his brown eyes shining with incredible warmth, laughing lines crinkling at the side of his eyes, like they always did whenever he was around her presence.**_

 _ **Sighing in annoyance, Quinn dragged a hand through her hair and grimly smiled, "That was the plan, Uncle B, unfortunately," she sneered, "Prestige Prissy Elena caused a huge tantrum because Izzy is staying at Phoenix with Aunt Renée and won't be coming to Forks. So my parents informed Uncle Charlie that they're picking Elena up today, and so we're having early dinner."**_

 _ **Billy whistled significantly, "I'm honestly surprised she lasted a week before making a hissy fit."**_

 _ **Quinn's sky-blue eyes twinkled with delight and humor; another reason why Elena Prissy Gilbert hated visiting Forks, Washington, was because unlike Mystic Falls, Virginia, every darned citizen of Forks and La Push hated her guts and merely tolerated her for the sakes of Quinn, Jeremy and Uncle Charlie who was the Chief and highly respectable.**_

" _ **Yeah, well, believe me, I was as surprised as you were. Honestly, the summer would be more tolerable and enjoyable with her gone. Now Uncle Charlie, Jer and I would be able to visit you more once our parents come," Quinn revealed; another fact; Elena hated La Push – apparently, the residents were too gritty and inferior to her, and she caused a bitch fit whenever they planned on visiting the Blacks.**_

" _ **Good to know. I'll be expecting all three of you tomorrow for the bonfire then, alright kiddo?" Billy beamed with gusto, his eyes twinkling tenfold.**_

 _ **Nodding obediently, Quinn bent down and placed a chaste kiss on his forehead, "You got it, Uncle B. So where exactly is Jer?"**_

 _ **A minute later, as per Billy's instructions, Quinn made her way down to the Beach, smiling fondly at the scene playing out in front of her – Jeremy, Jacob, Embry and Quill were messing around, alternating between tossing a ball and splashing each other with water and mud.**_

" _ **Can we help you?" a deep husky voice asked from behind her; whipping around and clutching her pounding heart, Quinn stared wide-eyed at the three burly and handsome men looming over her, all of whom had cropped raven hair, a mouth-watering six-pack, russet colored skin and a tribal sort of tattoo on their right shoulder.**_

 _ **Addressing the boy on the right with jade-green eyes who had spoken to her, she smiled benignly and said, "Jeez, wear a bell why don't you. Scared the shit outta me."**_

" _ **I'm sorry," the middle man spoke, he seemed to be the oldest and the one in charge from the three of them, "My name is Sam Uley, this is Jared Cameron and the idiot that startled you is Paul Lahote."**_

" _ **Pleasure," she quipped dryly, her eyes twinkling slightly, "Anyways, no I don't require any assistance, I'm just here to pick up my baby brother," and with one last smile, she turned away from the three dumbfounded boys and called out, "OI! JER! Uncle Charlie wants us home, come on! Chop, chop!"**_

 _ **Jeremy groaned, but obediently acquiesced and the four boys embraced each other in a manly bro-hug; Jacob plastered a smirk onto his face and called out from afar, "Yo, Q! Next time, I'm expecting you to join us, you hear me!"**_

" _ **Got it, kid!" Quinn teased him as Jeremy joined her side, slightly out of breath.**_

" _ **Hey! I'm barely two years younger than you!" Jacob yelled in retort. Laughing, Quinn scrutinized Jeremy and wrinkled her nose, "Ugh, don't even think of hugging me, Jer. You're all muddy and reek of sweat!"**_

 _ **With a devilish grin that meant nothing good, Jeremy pulled a squealing Quinn into a tight hug, transferring most of the mud and grime onto her clothes, "I'm s**_ **ooo** _ **gonna kill you, Jer! I'll pay you back for this. Anywho, mom and dad are coming to pick up Elena-"**_

" _ **Ugh, I'm surprised she lasted a week before calling it quits," Jeremy sneered with an eye roll; Einstein wasn't needed to point out Jeremy's obvious favoritism of Quinn over Elena – a fact that only managed to enhance Elena's hatred toward her twin.**_

" _ **That's what Uncle Billy said," Quinn giggled, her sky-blue eyes shining with mirth as she gestured for Jeremy to start walking, "C'mon, bro, time's a wasting, tick-tock, tick-tock," averting her attention toward the three bewildered boys who stayed rooted on the spot, Quinn waved at them, "It was nice meeting you, Sam, Jared, Paul. See you boys!"**_

 _ **Paul's jade-green orbs focused intensely at the brunette's retreating back, concentrating on the swish of her tight bottom and he let out a lewd whistle, "Damn, I'm**_ **definitely** _ **gonna be tapping that. She's one sexy piece of ass!"**_

 _ **Sam glared at the notorious Casanova of La Push and Forks combined, "Paul, don't! This girl, whoever she is, she seems to be tight with Chief Swan and the Blacks, especially Billy. If I were you, I'd stay away from her; it's a boundary you cannot cross!"**_

 _ **Jared rolled his eyes; Sam only succeeded in pushing Paul right into the girl's line of vision and increase his obsession. After all, it was a very well-known fact, that Paul Lahote loved nothing more than a challenge; the forbidden fruit; and he**_ **never** _ **backed down.**_

Aro was having a stimulating week; ever since that fateful afternoon where he literally collided into the mysterious brunette with sagacious sky-blue eyes, he had been immersed in obsessive thoughts of locating her. One of the three Kings of the Volturi was dumbfounded once Demetri and Felix returned to the castle, stating the enigma's sudden confounding disappearance.

Apparently, Demetri sensed her tenor, and just as he confided to Felix her current location, the mystifying mortal vanished at the mere blink of an eye without a trace; the deft tracker who had never failed before in a mission was eluded by the mere slip of a mortal. And Aro was confounded; explanations and possibilities kept revolving deep within the vortex of his shrewd noggin, yet the answer evaded him palpably.

It was almost as though, the mortal was in all actuality an immortal and vanished with vampire speed, but Aro discarded the notion as quick as it came. The girl was noticeably human, and it could be pertained to the palpable flush of her cheeks and the methodical thrum of her heartbeat.

Yet, _how_ did she elude Demetri – the best tracker in existence?

"Master?" Demetri bowed reverently, awaiting permission to hold eye-contact. Once given, the notorious tracker respectively stood and uttered, "I have been frugal in the hunt for the peculiar mortal girl you ordered pursuit of, and I have pinpointed a gleam of her tenor down in Volterra by the antediluvian house on the corner, the only archaic house encircled by its contemporary counterparts."

Ruby orbs gleamed with triumphant success and he smiled in delight, "Alex, Jane, you shall convene in our fruitful search with Demetri. Brother, would you like to congregate with us?"

"Oh, why not," Caius grumbled, hiding his curiosity deftly behind his iron mask; Marcus, on the other hand, enlisted in staying behind, not at all excited at the prospect of conjuring themselves a new member of the guard, predictably by force.

Donning on their hooded cloaks, the two Kings and the witch twins followed Demetri in relocating the destination, halting a minute later in their tracks ahead of the house fitting the tracker's previous description. Aro led the way forward, adopting his kingly visage, but before he could manage to knock courteously on the door, it burst open swiftly and the five Volturi Cold Ones set their eyes on a withering woman who looked to be nearing her deathbed.

" _Ahh_ ," she cackled hysterically, the sound grating against their sensitive hearing, "I was wondering how long it would take until you came knocking on my humble abode, Aro Volturi, Caius Volturi, and Company. Do come in, come in."

In all their millennia, they had never been so dumfounded and taken aback by a mortal. Aro pondered the ancient woman; it was possible that this mortal was gifted with clairvoyance like the dearly coveted Alice Cullen; alas, it was unfortunate that the mortal was nearing the end of her frail human life.

"How did you know of our arrival, _mortal_?" Caius boomed in a demanding tone with a pronounced sneer of revulsion; the abrasive King never had any patience or fondness towards humans.

Disturbingly raucous cackles once again permeated thickly in the air. Rotten black and yellowing chipped teeth widened in a shark-like smile, murky blue-white eyes shone with humor, and there was no detected fear in her hunched posture. In fact, the ancient mortal continued to grin sinisterly at them, "I have my ways, oh, Cold One. But enough dilly dallying around. You have come for a reason, _hmm_?" Painted eyebrows arched, and amusement radiated on her facial expression; she laughed so uproariously, she was reduced into a coughing fit, before victoriously taunting, "You are too _late_ , Aro Volturi. I know of whom you seek. I know of whom you covet. The girl is out of your league, and frankly… out of reach. Your task shall not end with triumph, for the girl is _long gone_."

"Who is she? _Where_ is she?" Aro snarled, forgoing all niceties at her crude demeanor, "I warn you, mortal, speak now, and we shall spare you, allowing you the courtesy to live the last numbering days of your frail mortal life."

A beat of silence, and the La Rue witch grinned before articulating one word, " _No_."

"Jane," Aro simply ordered with utmost calm. Jane Volturi stepped forward and pointed her dainty forefinger at the human, her innocent childish features shining with sinister glee and she softly uttered, " _Pain_."

Nothing.

Absolutely no reaction.

Harsh riotous and raucous laughter boomed from her distorted mouth, eyes glittering with absolute smugness in the face of the five shocked immortals, "Your powers shall fail you here, Witch Twin. Heed my warning, Aro Volturi, give up on your infatuated pursuit for the girl, for it is futile. Your greed may be your downfall. However, my deed here has come to its completion; I have administered all I was set out to do. The only reason I patiently remained was in wait for your arrival; I will be seeing you sometime in the murky unknown that is called, the future. _Goodbye_ Aro Volturi."

And before any of the Cold Ones could react, at the blink of an eye, the withering, wizened, hunchbacked mortal took out a steel blade and slit her throat in an effective horizontal motion.

The witch known as Alicivoire La Rue died at the feet of five ruthless Cold Ones, her blood seeping into the wooden fixtures and the cruel glint fading away from the blue-white orbs; her ominous quest had come to its end; however, her soul lived on, floating around somewhere in the abyss, awaiting the day where all her arduous decades of scheming shall come to its fruition.

"What the blasted hell just happened, Aro!" Caius roared in a mixture of shock and anger.

A collective silence was the only response.

 **-*-Fickle Love-*-**

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the elusive Jacob Black in the flesh," Quinn smirked; the fifteen year old russet-toned boy separated himself from his fellow Quileutes and scrambled over to her side, pulling her in for a suffocating hug and vigorously twirling her around the air in circles, eliciting melodious giggles from the brunette.

"Q! It's been _two_ years! Where the hell have you been!?" Jacob crowed energetically, his face threatening to split in half.

The only reason Jacob returned from Canada after his impulsive fleeing due to the heartbreak of receiving Bella's wedding invitation to the leech, was because his Dad had Quill and Embry pass on the urgent message telepathically that his old family friend, Quinn Gilbert had arrived. A part of him didn't believe it, until he stumbled upon Paul's mind in his wolf-form, whining desolately over her being his imprint and rejecting him quite venomously. Of course, Jacob felt for his tribe-brother, yet a part of him felt vindictive pleasure, stating that he deserved the crude treatment after breaking Quinn's heart into a million pieces, sleeping with her and then cheating on her, kicking her to the curb with his equally crude words.

"I've been around," Quinn beamed, "And was quite shocked when Uncle B told me you ditched the joint because of my cuz' impending marriage." Smacking Jacob's arm, Quinn glared at him, "First of all, Jake, Izzy is my cousin and although I am not overjoyed with her marrying a Cold One- yes, I know, _duhh_! The most important thing is that she's happy and Edward takes care of her. Second of all, I heard about that wolfy imprint soul-mate shebang, and Izzy obviously ain't your one, so quit moping around like a lovestruck ninny and be patient for your special someone. Third of all, if I hear that you've run away again for some moronic reason, I'll castrate you. Capish?"

Dumbly, mouth agape, Jacob nodded his head in vigorous agreement; laughter emanated from behind them, followed by Quill and Embry pouncing on her and engulfing her in a suffocating hug.

"Quinn, we've missed your eloquent words and profound pep-talks," Embry grinned deviously.

Quill patted her back with a fond smile, "Never change, Q, never change!"

"Wasn't planning on it, but thanks Quill," Quinn winked; the feeling of eyes burning into her skull had the brunette whipping around, scoping the premises in search for the perpetrator, before finally, sky-blue eyes halted on a pair of affectionate yet sorrowful jade-green orbs, and she inwardly fumed at being in close contact with Paul Lahote. Tearing her eyes away from his visage, Quinn grinned at Jacob, "So, Jakey-boy, you gonna leave me stranded here like some hobo, or you gonna invite me somewhere for a wonderful reunion."

Sam's mature voice boomed in response to her suggestion, "If you want, we usually hang around my place. I'm sure Emily, my fiancée, would enjoy having another girl around."

"What am I? Chopped liver?" Leah Clearwater sneered at her ex-boyfriend and Alpha of the pack.

Quinn giggled with mirth and embraced Leah, "Nah, your one hot piece of ass, Lay-Lay. You're just too woman for the rest of the residents in this dreary town," she winked conspiratorially; the pack were rendered speechless at the actual, honest-to-god real smile that blossomed on the resident cranky woman's face. Of course, Quinn Gilbert had a knack for PR, and like Katherine, had a skill of twisting everyone around her little finger … However, in this case, since Quinn was always around her Uncle Charlie and the Blacks, she was constantly invited to the Clearwaters and had known Leah since she was a child, so they went way back.

"I missed you Q-Girl," Leah smirked.

"Woah, woah, woah, back up, rewind!" Jared blurted in a rush, "You two _know_ each other?" he gaped.

Staring at Jared Cameron in disinterest, both girls intoned, "Duhh!"

After that wonderful reunion, Quinn was led by the Quileute Pack to the Uleys, and for the first time, met Emily Uley herself, the mother-hen of the pack. Even though the gentle woman's face was marred with claw marks from Sam during the beginning of his transformation, Emily was a real beauty and Quinn secretly vowed that she would discover a way of healing her face; maybe a small dosage of Kat's blood, or perhaps a spell if she could ever locate the Phoenix Grimoires and open the one Alicia La Rue returned.

After a hearty lunch filled with flowing conversation, boisterous laughter and utmost avoidance of Paul who had been constantly vexing for conversation and evoke a confrontation, Jacob spoke up, "Hey, Q, how come Jer didn't come with you?"

"Uh, well, you see, I, um… you didn't by any chance talk with your Dad, did you?" Quinn stammered, avoiding the inevitable conversation that was overdue.

"Nope," he said, popping the 'p', "Came here straight away and had Embry call you over. Why?" he asked suspiciously.

Fiddling with the ends of her hair, Quinn evaded any eye-contact whatsoever and said, "I, um, well, to put it bluntly, ran away from home. I've been wandering around since the beginning of April and skipped school, b _uuu_ t, Jer is gonna be here tomorrow with Aunt Jenna for ya know, the dum-dum-da-dumm. Izzy's wedding."

Dodging the mention of Bella's wedding, Jacob fixed Quinn with a scrutinizing glare, all conversation stalled as their attention was currently fixated on what looked to be an argumentative confrontation, "You've ran away for nearly five months and you gave me shit for the measly month? What the hell, Quinn. Why did you leave your family? Where've you been all this time?"

"MY PARENTS DIED, JACOB!" Quinn bellowed, tears streaming down her face, red-rimmed eyes staring desolately at a dumbstruck Jacob, provoking a mournful atmosphere, "My parents, are-, they're gone, Jakey. I couldn't remain there after the funeral, I just, I couldn't."

Pulling her in for a tight, comforting hug, Jacob allowed Quinn's head to nest in the crook of his neck, his voice strained and full of emotions, he poignantly asked, "How?"

"Fucking Prestigious Elena, that's fucking how!" Quinn snarled venomously, harshly wiping the tears from her face, the attention solely placed on her, awaiting her next words, "There was a party by the woods, and it so happened to be the same night as Family Night. Elena harangued and made a gigantic bitch fit, and my parents predictably gave in. The bitch decided to fight with her boyfriend at that specific moment and rather than getting a ride with Bonnie or Caroline or even Tyler Lockwood, she whined like a little bitch to mom and dad and coerced them into picking her up. They skidded on a wet path, and my dad lost control of the car and went smack-dab down the Wickery Bridge. They drowned. But somehow, a miracle shone and that bitch survived!"

"God, Q, I'm sorry. I know it doesn't change anything. I liked Miranda and Grayson, a lot. They didn't deserve it," Jacob said sadly, a few tears escaping his eyelids as well. The Pack and Emily expressed their grief as well, and muttered a few condolences, and it took a few awkward minutes for the ambience to morph into a semi-cheerful state.

"So, Quinn, what have you been up to for the past five-ish months? Roadtripping? Cruising around through Vegas, casinos and whatnot?" Seth beamed in interest.

Quinn let her head roll backwards, boisterous giggles escaping her lips, "Oh, Seth, that doesn't even begin to cover the adventures I've been through," she winked, "I'm telling you though, the roadtrip ain't over yet."

"You're skipping school at September?" Embry asked, reverence and envy seeping in his tone.

"Oh, yeah. Definitely. Uncle John gave me permission as long as I stay up-to-date with my courses and don't fall behind, I'm free to do as I please," Quinn replied with a cheeky grin.

"Lucky!" most of the boys from the pack crowed enviously.

"Well, your Uncle John always preferred you and Bella the most. Favoritism I tell you," Leah smirked, her honey orbs shining with mirth.

Before Quinn could retort, her phone began to ring incessantly; placing a finger up, gesturing that she'd be back, Quinn walked away from the Pack and into the adjoining room. "Hello?"

"Is this Quinn? The Petrova Doppelgänger?" a soft quirky voice asked almost hesitantly.

Her posture turned rigid, and her face hardened, "Who is this?" The Pack were curiously inbred, ears perked at the change of tune from cheerful to foreboding; due to their inner wolf, they had delicate hearing and had the ability to listen in to the conversation as though Quinn were whispering in their ear.

"Slater from Richmond. You asked me for a favor, remember?"

Breathing a sharp intake of breath in relief, Quinn smiled, "Slater, god, you scared me. Tell me, how goes the search for Elijah?"

"Th-That's why I'm calling, Quinn," he stammered nervously, "I just got an answer from Craigslist. Elijah is _definitely_ interested in meeting you. One of his henchmen responded, but the date is unknown. However, Elijah is skeptical of your existence and will be making the journey to Forks, uh, Washington."

Quinn's expression visibly transformed into a mixture of relief and plain fear; the Tribe could practically smell the pure, tangible fear radiating from her, arousing their suspicion, or in Paul and Jacob's case, concern.

"Great, Slater. Thank you so much. I could never repay your kindness," Quinn donned on many masks ever since her parents' funeral and discovering Katherine and all the supernatural qualms, therefore, not even a tiny hint of fear seeped into her tone as she thanked the Almanac Vampire and hung up the phone. In one quick flash, Quinn hurriedly clicked on Katherine's name from her contacts, tapping her feet nervously on the ground, alternating between pacing in dizzying circles and breathing harshly.

There was no need to hide her palpable fear from her beloved ancestor, and so, Katherine didn't even have a chance to greet the brunette doppelgänger before she shrieked into the phone, "Elijah's coming!"

"And good afternoon to you too, Quinny," was Katherine's snarky response, covering the fearful situation with misplaced humor. After a beat of strained silence, she asked, "How sure are you?"

"Our favorite Almanac Vampire called. _Very_ sure. Elijah is interested, but a date wasn't given. He'll be showing up randomly out of the fucking blue, Kat!" Unbeknownst to the frazzled Quinn, the Tribe growled audibly once the word vampire escaped her lips.

Katherine took charge at once, speaking in soothing tones, "Okay. Relax Quinny, you know the plan. Keep your head on and show no fear. Be confident. I'll be close by just in case I need to flash you out of there or a rescue mission is needed, 'kay?"

"Alright Kitty Kat. I gotta go. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Ciao."

Walking back into the living room, Quinn was greeted with a sea of enraged faces and loud growling, "Okay, what the hell is going on?"

" _Vampires,_ Quinn?" Jacob snapped; Quinn huffed loudly, how could she have forgotten about their damn sensitive hearing?

Stomping over to them, Quinn took a seat beside Jacob and groused out, "I hate your damn shapehsifting hearing ability. It's really a pain in the ass; allows zero privacy whatsoever!"

"Uh, we're werewolves, Q," Quill pointed out, prompting a smile from the brunette.

"Actually, no you're not. Believe me, I've met werewolves before, and you guys ain't it," those words prompted wide-eyed stares and gaping mouths, "A werewolf is a cursed supernatural being that has no choice but to transform during a full moon. You guys on the other hand, have the ability to shift painlessly at any given time. Comprende?"

"Explain the vampire part?" Paul growled, wanting nothing more than to protect her from those leeches and whisk her off somewhere safe.

Quinn glared daggers at him, but nevertheless, replied, "Right. Vampires differ from the Cullens species. The Cullens and the type you've met are known as Cold Ones. Vampires resemble humans from A to Z, and have a lot of cool qualities to them that I won't get into right now, so don't bother nagging me for the info."

"I will not allow you to hang around leeches, Quinn! I want you to stay far away from them," Paul's tone increased in octave before ending with an angry growl; the Pack members all winced, recoiling in alarm, gaping at Paul as though he had just signed his death sentence. Getting up onto her feet, Quinn looked like she was about to spit fire, her sky-blue eyes narrowed into slits, and she spoke in a deathly cool voice that had shivers running down their spines.

"You will not _allow_ me? Who the hell do you think you are to boss me around with such superiority, stubborn indignation and misplaced bravado? NEWSFLASH Lahote; you are NOT my boyfriend, we are in NO certain terms together; the only affiliation I connect with you, is _merely_ the friend of my friends, that's _it_. I already told you before, that wolfy claim you believe you have on me, it's one-sided buddy. I will do whatever I want, whenever the hell I _want_!"

There was a pause in the brunette's ranter as she calmed down and took in a well-needed sharp intake of breath, ignoring the wounded expression on Paul's visage her words prompted. Jacob slowly raised his hands in a surrender gesture and in a rational voice said, "Look, Q, Paul's just worried for your safety. We all are; I mean, you hang out with leeches, they're dangerous; bloodsucking monsters!"

Quinn raised herself to her full height, glaring down at each and every member of the Quileute pack, and looked as though she were about to breath fire, "How DARE you! How dare you all sit there with your holier than thou attitude, like a bunch of judgmental dogs!" Ignoring the angry glares and the insulted yelling, she stubbornly carried on, "This _code_ you all believe in, is harsh and utter crock! Vampires are predators; they naturally feed on blood to survive. We are predators in a way too, the difference is, we do not need to slaughter and eat animals to survive, but there aren't many vegetarians around here, is there? Where's our excuse? Should we all be judged and sentenced to death? Not wanting to step on some toes, but shapeshifters are notoriously known for having a raging temper where they lose control of their inhibitions, exhibit A: Emily, but should you be condemned for something out of your control?"

Silence and agape jaws met Quinn's heated and passionate tirade; a myriad of wide orbs stared at her in awe and horror and scorn; Sam flinched however, and Quinn rested her hand comfortably on his, "I'm not judging you, Sam. It was beyond your control, doesn't make you a monster or at fault. I'm not exonerating all vampires and Cold Ones out there; I admit that many vampires do not show an inkling of remorse or compassion for human life, but there are vampires out there that _do_. Not everything is painted in black and white; there are many shades of grey. Think of that next time you judge a race solely based on some of their actions; don't bunch them all together and place blame for the actions of the cold-hearted. Hitler was a despicable, revolting, sinister and bloodthirsty human being; does that mean all humans deserve to be put down like rabid animals?"

Suffice to say, Quinn departed La Push, leaving the Quileute Tribe members to process her heartfelt words. Hopefully, she managed to break into their thick-headed skulls and change their biased views; after all, it would not do for them to hate her once she discovered a method to successfully transition. But for now, Quinn was due to meet Uncle John at the house and prepare the guest rooms for Jenna and Jeremy's arrival the next day.

 **-*-Fickle Love-*-**

"Well?" a smooth baritone asked briskly; the voice belonged to a well-dressed immaculate man who was currently pressing one of his many favored day-suits he preferred to wear. He had chiseled cheekbones, and a hardened jaw; scrutinizing mahogany orbs staring intently at the vampire as he hung up the phone, adorning a look of utter terror and the strange man awaited the response with utmost patient that he was notorious for.

With a violent stutter, the Almanac replied, "It-, it is done."

"V _e_ ry good." Triumphant and bored with the niceties, the man removed a wooden stake from the inside of his suit and offered it to the Almanac; orbs dilating, he regrettably compelled the vampire who had unfortunately outlived his usefulness, "Now, I want you to take this stake and thrust it into your heart."

"No."

Shock; mahogany orbs widened, unblinkingly staring at the nervous yet firm Almanac, the first vampire he had faced to deny his compulsion. Blink. Blink. Finally, he masked his astonishment, "No?" Eyebrows furrowed in thought, and his jaw slackened, comprehension engulfing him, "You are on vervain. I must say, you are the first vampire to uncover the secret of the Originals. How did you find out?"

"Quinn, uh, Quinn-, she, as a method of payment, she revealed the truth to me in hopes of my survival," Slater stammered, regrettably selling the kind doppelgänger out; but it wasn't part of the deal, and he kept his promise by not uttering a word about Katerina Petrova's inclusion.

Quinn Gilbert; the mere slip of a mortal girl, the living human doppelgänger that confounded the thousand-year-old Original; her connections, and the overload of information she had in her repertoire interested him, and in all honesty, he was now, more than ever, impatient to meet the human doppelgänger, that by all means, should not even exist, let alone have knowledge of the ritual that she was unfortunate enough to be the main ingredient.

"Congratulations, Slater. You have succeeded in living another day," noting the look of relief as those cerulean eyes glittered with gratitude- making no mistake, it was aimed toward the confounding Quinn Gilbert; "However, heed my warning… you will not mention me, or the human doppelgänger to a soul. Not. A. Word. If you do, I'll know," he threatened.

Elijah Mikaelson felt interest stir and he left the Almanac with his heart attached. The visit to the dreary, small town of Forks had just become prominent in the Original's schedule. He had a human doppelgänger to meet, interrogate, and possibly threaten with a sturdy plan; the final touches to his scheme against his younger brother were nearly reaching fruition after centuries of deft planning.

 _ **June, 2005;**_

 _ **The bonfire was a success, and the night was filled with boisterous laughter and friendly conversation. Quinn chanced a glance at her younger brother, smiling fondly at the image he made, laughing uncontrollably with Jacob, Quill and Embry. Her Uncle Charlie was in his element beside Uncle B, their nearly identical brown orbs sparkling with happy emotions.**_

 _ **Quinn felt the warm embrace of being surrounded by family and friends and she snapped her attention back to Leah Clearwater who was currently sobbing over the loss of the love of her life, Sam Uley, who had fallen out of love with her after years of togetherness and currently in love with her own cousin, out of all women.**_

" _ **Screw Sam," Quinn sneered, emphasizing the boy's name with anger, "His actions are deplorable, you deserve better Lay-Lay. One day, you'll meet a great guy, one who will treat you with the respect you deserve and show you affection. One that will never betray you. If you think about it, you should be glad you discovered Sam's true colors now before it was too late."**_

 _ **Leah wiped away the remaining tears, beaming with joy, "You're right, Quinny. He doesn't deserve my tears! Screw him!"**_

 _ **Idles chatter later, Leah left her side and joined Jeremy, sneaking him a few alcoholic beverages; Quinn pretended blindness in regards to their sneaky, cunning act and stared intently at the last dying embers of the bonfire when a warm body joined her, taking Leah's emptied place.**_

" _ **Leah needed that pep talk. You're a good friend." Turning around, sky-blue orbs connected with familiar jade-green, and Quinn's face heated up slightly due to the lustful gaze she was on the receiving end of by Paul Lahote.**_

 _ **Clearing her throat, she shrugged nonchalantly, "Yeah, well. Your friend did the unforgivable act and dumped her for her cousin. She deserves much better." Quinn Gilbert wasn't one to judge, but in her opinion, there was no excuse for hurting her best female friend of La Push, especially a guy that had the audacity to replace her for her cousin. Quinn didn't even want to guess what Emily was thinking – how she could actually date her cousin's ex. Hell, Caroline Forbes was her best friend in the entire world, they weren't even related by blood and had no familial ties, and still, Quinn could never imagine stealing the hyper blonde's guy.**_

 _ **Paul clenched his fists, "Believe me, it's complicated. Sam couldn't help who he fell in love with, but-… enough about them. I wanna know about you. Maybe tomorrow during dinner?"**_

 _ **Blinking, once, twice, Quinn let her head fall backwards and giggled uncontrollably, "Awwh, c'mon Lahote. Is that the best you got? I'm sure you can do better than that."**_

 _ **A smile played across his sexy face and he faced her, his undivided attention fixed solely on her, "What will it take to win you over, sweet Quinn? I'll jump through hoops if I have to. One date, give me a chance and I promise you, I'll rock your world."**_

" _ **Smooth talker and arrogant," Quinn smirked.**_

" _ **Why thank you, it's a gift."**_

" _ **And cocky too," she retorted with an arched eyebrow, "I'm not that easy, Lahote. You want me? You gotta do better than that."**_

" _ **Quinn, Uncle Charlie's calling, it's time to go," Jeremy hesitatingly approached her, glaring at Paul with a high-dose of suspicion. Rolling her eyes; she was the eldest, therefore, she should be the protective one, not her little bro.**_

 _ **Standing up abruptly, Quinn brushed the remaining sand from her behind and looped arms with Jeremy; turning back, she smiled, sparing him a cheeky wink, "Well, it was nice talking to you. See you around, Casanova!"**_

 _ **Jade-green orbs gleamed with lust and interest and a roguish grin settled onto his visage as he murmured to himself, "Challenge Accepted."**_

 _ **Little did the newly turned shapeshifter know, he would rue the day he began the hunt for the brunette doppelgänger someday in the fast approaching future. Setting his sights on his new conquest would only do more harm than good and lead to the inevitable heartbreak and lost chances.**_

 **A/N:** **Sorry for the delay, Dear Readers! …I hope you enjoyed this chapter?! XD**

 **This chapter was more of a filler chapter; I had to show Quinn/Quileute bonding as the Tribe would be of importance in the future! How did you like the Volturi at the beginning? And OMG! Elijah fans out there, I added a small part, but don't worry, he'll be appearing soon… VERY soon! ;)**

 **Next chapter will be Bella's Wedding! YAY! And, we will meet more Vampire Diaries characters!**

 **Many more plot twists to come! Stay tuned!**

 **R &R. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **A/N:** **In my story, it takes three and a half hours by car between Mystic Falls & Forks.**

 **Chapter 7:**

 ** _Mystic Falls, Autumn, 1864;_**

 ** _A coquettish feminine giggle permeated the enclosed space. Two figures under the duvet of an extravagant Queen-sized bed rolled over and quivered when suddenly, the head of a handsome man with raven hair materialized leaving his body from the neck down hidden underneath the warmth of the thick duvet. A pair of electric blue eyes stared intensely at the divine brunette with palpable love and unwavering devotion, his pale lips curving into a genuine smile._**

 ** _"Damon," the sultry voice of the female uttered, sounding out of breath, "A gentleman mustn't tickle a Lady, it is most unbecoming." The eldest Salvatore, Damon grinned in response, "I was under the impression that you weren't a lady, Miss Pierce."_**

 ** _Katherine Pierce smirked; black veins protruded underneath her eyes morphing her gorgeous mien into one the snooty Founders Council referred to as a demon; canines elongated from her plump lips and a euphoric moan filled the bedroom as they implanted into Damon's jugular, greedily imbibing the wonderful rich flavor of blood._**

 ** _A knock on the door resonated in the room, interrupting the outlandish couple and with an annoyed groan, Katherine shoved Damon off of her with her superior strength and called out, "Who is it?" breathing a sigh of relief when her trusted friend, Pearl appeared in their midst, and ignoring the disappointed frown on her mien upon noticing the eldest Salvatore's neck that was coated with blood, she chided, "Pearl, you know better than to interrupt my morning dalliance."_**

 ** _Pearl concentrated her onyx orbs on Katherine, "We have a problem. This could not wait." Noticing the worried quality in her friend's tone had Katherine out of bed and onto her feet in the blink of an eye. Nicking her finger, she absently fed Damon a few drops of her blood and departed the room with a brusque order to clean himself up lest his father got suspicious._**

 ** _As it turned out, there had been a bloodbath the other day; townspeople were mauled quite viciously and the Founders Council was pointing the blame on vampires which unfortunately put a hitch in Katherine's plans. Gathering all the information Pearl overheard from the council gave the resilient vampire a brainwave and after decrypting the sudden conundrum, she formulated a plan that would allow her to confront the clandestine perpetrator; which is how she found herself being escorted to the Founder's Ball arm in arm with the dashing youngest Salvatore and the brother who actually held her heart, Stefan._**

 ** _"Look who found his dancing shoes," Katherine giggled as she was twirled in the dance floor of the Lockwood Mansion by Stefan; leaning in, the youngest Salvatore went to kiss her, only for Katherine to pull back with a sultry smile, "No touching, Mr. Salvatore._** **Those** ** _are the rules."_**

 ** _"I thought you didn't believe in rules," Stefan retorted with a fond smile. His eyes flickered and connected with a pair of enraged electric blues and he sighed, "My brother is still upset that you chose me to escort you." Without bothering to spare Damon the courtesy of a glance, she shrugged innocently, "Well, Damon needs to concede that his younger brother is a better dancer."_**

 ** _After many dances and mingling with the townspeople, Damon raised his glass into the air for a toast, "Everyone will you please join me in raising your glasses to my good friend, George Lockwood." Turning to face a brunette with olive-green eyes and a pale complexion who stood by his side with a modest smile, Damon continued, "George, thank you for so bravely defending the south."_**

 ** _Katherine's shrewd orbs burned a hole into George Lockwood's forehead as his mouth curved into a charming smile, "My honor Mr. Salvatore. After all, someone had to do it." Katherine Pierce wasn't one to shrug perplexing incidents off as mere coincidences, and George Lockwood's arrival coincidentally coinciding with the brutal mauling of the townspeople finally connected the last puzzle piece together._**

 ** _Wanting George to seek her out for an audience, Katherine separated herself from her adoring Salvatores and stood off in a corner by her lonesome, and just as she predicted, George approached her with a lecherous smile, "She's all alone. Does this mean I can finally have you to myself?"_**

 ** _"Your father has outdone himself," Katherine drawled, not rising to the bait; George shrugged and arrogantly sidled up to her side, "Knowing father, he will want to throw a Founders' Party every year." Having had enough with inane conversation, Katherine whipped around to face him, "I must admit, I'm rather surprised that you'd come looking for me," after all, due to past incidents, Katherine knew that experienced werewolves can sense when a vampire is nearby._**

 ** _"Because you are the rope in the Salvatore brothers tug of war?" George retorted in a pert tone, but Katherine merely stated in a matter-of-fact voice, "No, because I'm a vampire who could kill you in your sleep." George stiffened considerably and chose to act surprised, but it was shot down by the astute vampire, "Relax, George. I know you know my secret."_**

 ** _"This conversation is over," George hissed, proving Katherine's supposition to be true. Once the werewolf's back was turned and he went to leave, she calmly called out, "And I know your secret too, and I know that you're_** **extra** ** _strong, only not_** **as** ** _strong." Finally, all arrogance disappeared from George's visage, only to be replaced by a mixture of doubt and fear, "How do you know who I am?"_**

 ** _Katherine scoffed and gave him an incredulous look in return, "You think I would settle into a town without knowing my enemies?" After the calamitous year of 1492, Katherine's paranoia knew no bounds and she never entered a town unprepared. Slumping his shoulders in defeat but keeping his brows knit in confusion, George asked, "What do you want?"_**

 ** _And a deal was struck; not long after the Founders' Ball, George approached her and informed her of the date and time Giuseppe Salvatore confided in him of the vampires round up. The manipulative vampire found it to be a good opportunity to finally plan her death, allowing her at least a few centuries of freedom from her deadly pursuer._**

 ** _"Insist that they do a body count_** **before** ** _the church is set ablaze," Katherine informed him, "Twenty-seven vampires, George. Don't forget!"_**

 ** _George nodded, a sinister smile encroaching on his visage, "Once the flames create chaos, crawl to the exit under the quire loft. I'll be there to set you free."_**

 ** _"Make sure you're not followed. I need everyone to believe I perished in that fire."_**

 ** _That night, the terms of agreement between Katherine Pierce and George Lockwood had reached a successful fruition; trading the moonstone for her freedom and leaving all eye-witnesses to burn._**

Quinn Gilbert was currently lounging on her bed, staring quizzically at the grimoire Alicia returned for the umpteenth time. For the past two weeks, nothing Quinn tried opened the damn thing up; finally losing her mind, the opinionated girl actually downloaded the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on her laptop, memorized the word ' _open'_ in parseltongue and foolishly hissed the word on repeat, to no avail. Of course, Quinn knew she lost the last vestiges of her brain cells, since parseltongue was a fictional dialect and the Phoenix High Priestess in 1360 knew zilch of J.K. Rowling's ingenious creation of Harry Potter seeing as she didn't exist in the 14th Century.

It was to that bizarre image that her Uncle John walked in on and actually erupted into fits of laughter; despite the fact that Katherine conveyed that her Uncle was working with a covert someone in saving Elena's life and was keeping it all a secret from her, John was still searching high and low for information on the curious phoenix tattoo that mutated from a mole between her shoulder blades on her 13th birthday, and so, Quinn confided in him of her discovery and productive visit to Volterra – leaving out the fruitless attempts in transitioning into a vampire part, and ignoring the loud and incessant berating she was on the receiving end of for being in close proximity to the Volturi. Coming to her rescue and that of her fried brain, John ordered her to forget about the grimoire and hopefully later she would come up with a brainwave in opening the maddening book.

On August 12th, a day before Bella was to tie the knot with the smothering Edward Cullen, Aunt Jenna and Jeremy finally arrived by car; her stuck up twin decided to forgo making an appearance to her only cousin's wedding, much to Bella's vivid relief since she had only invited her least favorite relative out of courtesy. The Cullens congregated in Uncle John's rented house to meet Bella's remaining family members and after many benevolent words of welcome and suffocating hugs, Jenna pulled Quinn to the side, a solemn look on her usually chilled out visage.

"Your brother is using, Quinn," Jenna whispered; Quinn inwardly rolled her eyes, knowing that the seven Cold Ones would be able to hear every single word verbatim due to their uncanny hearing and discourtesy of giving others privacy. Quinn was still a novice witch, and despite the fact that she killed a human at the age of twelve and had been a witch for four years, she was lacking a mentor or a grimoire that had the ability to freaking open, and so, Quinn was unable to conceal their conversation.

After much hypothesizing, John came to the guesstimated conclusion that Quinn's witch genes protected her from Edward and Alice's gifts, while vervain protected him. The glorious potent herb vervain was a vampire's weakness; it protected humans from compulsion and a hideous demise of being devoured as a midnight snack since it was toxic to vampires. So, why not go with the theory that vervain, while not toxic to Cold Ones, could in fact protect mortals from their extraterrestrial gifts?

Once Carlisle Cullen confessed to John about him being a doctor and immune to the call of blood, going as far as to confide in him that he had never in his three-hundred and forty-six years of immortality tasted a drop of human blood, the vampire hunter and the Patriarch of the Olympic Coven formulated a friendship and began trading theories left and right, and in conclusion, decided to test out the vervain-theory by lacing Jenna and Jeremy's drinks with vervain to see if Edward would still be able to use his telepathic abilities on them. A theory Quinn wholeheartedly agreed with, not liking the fact that her _'cousin-in-law?'_ would be able to root into her aunt and baby brother's minds and invade their privacy.

Raising an eyebrow at her Aunt's phrasing, Quinn slowly clarified, "When you say using… you mean, _drugs_?" receiving a nod in return had Quinn mutter many expletives under her breath prompting a scowl of disapproval from the laid-back Jenna. "Why the hell is Jer doing drugs?" she hissed.

"That's his way of coping, Quinn," Jenna sighed forlornly, "Elena spends all her time in the cemetery by your parents' graves, writing in her diary and she closed off on the outside world, choosing to barricade herself in her room. You skipped town. Jeremy turned to drugs."

A heavy scowl furrowed on Quinn's flawless forehead, and she pouted, "That still doesn't make it right! I don't want my baby brother to get addicted to that harmful stuff!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't have ran off, Quinn," Jenna snapped, eliciting a stifling silence between them. Jenna groaned and facepalmed herself, "I'm sorry, Quinn. I lost my sister, my brother-in-law, and in the blink of an eye was given sole custody to three teenagers. I'm just way in over my head." Quinn embraced Jenna in a tight hug, whispering sweet nothings into her ear and when they pulled away, Jenna's cheeks were stained with tears contrasting with the genuine smile on her face, "I basically had to force Jeremy to come. You know how much he adores Bella, but-, he's sucked into Vicki Donovan's web and put up quite a fight. If you were in Mystic Falls, you'd be able to snap him back; you always could when it came to your brother."

The veracity of Jenna's words was overwhelming; Jeremy idolized Bella and Quinn ever since he was a toddler. Quinn never discovered the event that had Jeremy pull away from Elena since he never saw fit to disclose the true incident, but Quinn had always been his favored sibling. To Jeremy, Quinn, and in extension, Bella's word was law, and he hated disappointing them, always looking up to them and believing them to care over his well-being. If Quinn chose to remain in Mystic Falls after the funeral, then perhaps Jeremy would have coped better instead of doing drugs and getting ensnared in the Drug-Queen's corruptive clutches. But the damage was done, and hopefully, Jeremy being reunited with Bella and Quinn would set him straight.

"So Jer, how have you been since…?" Bella trailed off, unable to utter the unforgivable words; they were all huddled together in the living room drinking coffee and getting to know each other better, in terms of the Cullens, Jenna and Jeremy. Rosalie was skulking off in the corner by a jovial Emmett's side, not bothering to partake in conversation with the exception of glaring daggers at the Gilberts, a heavy scowl tarnishing her face when she went ignored.

Jeremy shrugged, his mien contorted into one of guilt as he avoided eye-contact with his sister and cousin, "I've been … dealing. Whatever. What about you, Bells. Getting married at eighteen? How'd that happen?" Jeremy shot a dirty look at Edward who looked quite annoyed for some reason; obviously Jeremy wouldn't be so trusting over some dude taking his cousin away from him, regardless of him being the youngest from the four cousins, he took his role as the only male seriously and never allowed anyone to take advantage of his sisters and cousin.

"I fell in love," Bella snorted, the obvious quality in her tone. Jenna laughed, a fond expression on her mien, "Well, Renée, Miranda and I always assumed you'd be the first one to get married. Although you can be quite immature once reunited with Quinn, you're an old soul." Quinn stared at her aunt in mock-offense while John and Bella laughed in response.

After much conversation, the Cullens decided to depart, giving Bella time to enjoy the presence of her relatives; before they left however, Edward sullenly informed Carlisle, John, Bella and Quinn that once Jenna and Jeremy imbibed vervain, he had been unable to read their minds, not appreciating Quinn's smug satisfaction at the turn of events. Seriously, the brooding dude had to snap out of her superiority complex and learn that invading people's privacy was not cool.

 **-*-Fickle Love-*-**

It was a unanimous agreement between Quinn and Bella that it would be good for Jeremy to visit Jacob, Quill and Embry since he hadn't seen his childhood friends in over a year. Leaving the old flames, John and Jenna, alone in the house was the cherry on top, both of them glaring at their retreating backs as they departed since they loathed one another – although Jenna held more hatred toward John.

The mischievous girls decided to walk to La Push, giving them leeway to tear Jeremy a new one for his recent addiction to drugs and choosing it to be a coping mechanism. Although Jeremy gave off an air of obliviousness, he was in fact a smart cookie, and once they were in complete solitude with no eavesdroppers around, he didn't fail to notice how both girls fixed him with a sharp stare.

"What?" Jeremy finally huffed, unable to continue walking in the smothering silence.

"Don't what me Jeremy Grayson Gilbert!" Quinn snapped, her sky-blue eyes glinting with a warning to not interrupt, "Drugs? _Drugs_?! And don't get me started on Vicki effing Donovan! What the hell were you thinking?"

"He wasn't," Bella hissed, prompting Jeremy to recoil at the harsh words inflicted onto his person.

Stubbornly, Jeremy shook his face, his shaggy hair flopping into his face, "What do you care? You're my sister, and you left me! You left me alone the second the funeral ended! You left me alone with _Elena_! How could you just abandon me at the worst time, when I needed you more than I ever needed anybody else?" It was Quinn's turn to recoil at his heated words, the pain in her baby brother's voice crippling her, but he didn't give her leeway to defend her actions as he transferred his glare onto Bella, "You on the other hand, you didn't even come to the funeral. Instead, you stayed here playing happy family with your perfect fiancé and his perfect Brady Bunch family. Why do you guys even care?! The only reason I'm here is because Jenna _literally_ shoved me out the door."

Deciding to add a small dosage of humor, Quinn meekly pointed out, "And because you'd rather come out here instead of remaining at Mystic Falls with Elena." Bella snorted softly and a ghost of a smile appeared on Jeremy's face before he quickly repressed it, "So don't go lecturing me on my way of dealing because both of you _abandoned_ me!"

The three cousins were nearing the border of La Push, and not wanting to end the conversation with Jeremy's cruel but truthful words plaguing their minds, Quinn and Bella halted in their footsteps and strangled Jeremy in a suffocating hug. Bella confided in Quinn the truth of why she couldn't make it to Mystic Falls for the funeral; she had Bitchtoria on her trail, adamant in killing her as retribution for Edward killing her mate, and so, was unable to leave… Quinn on the other hand, had no excuse; her actions were based on her selfish desire to be alone and far away from Elena. She could have taken Jeremy with her, but instead, placed her needs before him, and although it ended up being a good thing for Quinn due to the discovery of her life being in danger, when she fled Mystic Falls, Quinn didn't exactly know that.

"Jer, I have no excuse. I'm sorry. My actions were selfish. I wanted to set a large distance between myself and Elena and I wasn't thinking. But nevertheless, it isn't an excuse for you to turn to drugs," Quinn slowly articulated, her voice heavy with emotion. "Mom and Dad wouldn't want that for you, and this isn't me using our dead parents to guilt you into anything. At the end of the day, the choice is yours, just please… think about it."

Jeremy nodded stiffly as the two girls untangled their limbs from his person and they continued trekking toward the Black Resident. The cousins barely made it to the front door when the familiar voice of Jacob called out, "Jeremy? Jer, is that you?" A genuine smile curved onto Jeremy's sullen visage and he pounced on Jacob, giving him a bro-hug and was immediately followed by a jubilant Embry and Quill. Bella was pleasantly surprised when Jacob actually addressed her politely with a smile and a weak hug, and she shot a knowing look at an innocently whistling Quinn, a hundred percent certain that her cousin traded a few words with the youngest Black that had him changing his sad kicked puppy to the curb look he had been giving her ever since she accepted Edward's proposal.

Shaking her head in amusement, Bella was once again grateful for her favorite cousin's presence; nobody but Quinn had the gift of breaking into stubborn-minded people. Truly, Quinn Gilbert had been blessed with the gift of persuasion.

"Woah, you guys are ripped," Jeremy gaped, once he pulled away and got a better look at his three topless muscled childhood friends who had previously been extremely scrawny last time he saw them, "What… have you guys been religiously taking steroids with every meal?"

Fidgeting nervously, Jacob, Quill and Embry shook their heads in negative. Jacob clapped Jeremy on the back, covertly sending Quinn and Bella a 'help' look, "Nah, Jer, we've just been hitting the gym a lot. And when I say a lot, I mean we've been overtiring ourselves." Quill and Embry let out weak chuckles and Jeremy shrugged in response; not knowing about the supernatural entities, Jeremy tended to believe any excuse that made sense. The five in the know of the supernaturals breathed a sigh of relief and just as the six of them turned to visit Billy, they were joined by the remaining Quileute Pack who was approaching from behind.

"It's about time you showed your face around here," Leah called out good-naturedly.

" _Jer_!" Seth cheered, exuberantly engulfing the youngest Gilbert in a bone-breaking hug. Leah had more control and merrily skipped over to her favorite male and once Seth released him, embraced him softly with a peck on his cheek, "I've missed you little bro," she grinned, ruffling his shaggy hair fondly.

Quinn and Bella both had identical shit-eating grins on their face, satisfied that their plan had worked. The metaphorical dreary cloud over Jeremy's head was dissipating as his expression cheered up immensely with the arrival of his childhood friends. Suddenly, Jeremy's chocolate orbs focused intensely on one specific person who hadn't once diverted his jade green eyes from Quinn's form and before anybody could see it coming, Jeremy determinedly strode over to Paul Lahote, swung a fisted hand backward and allowed it to collide with his face, flinging him off his feet as he met the ground with a loud _thump_.

Clenching and unclenching his fist while shaking it in the air, Jeremy's stony face glared down at Paul, a triumphant gleam in his eyes upon seeing the blood dripping from his nose, "I've been wanting to do that for a really, really, _really_ long time!"

Every occupant was gaping at Jeremy in shock since he wasn't one to divulge in hand to hand combat and was usually a demure boy, barely outspoken when it came to conflict. Jeremy Gilbert handed Paul Lahote, the resident Casanova and hot tempered person's ass.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood onto the soil, the Quileutes were shocked when instead of erupting into his wolf-form, Paul merely stared at Jeremy and then Quinn with a guilty expression, and forlornly admitted, "I guess I deserved that."

 **-*-Fickle Love-*-**

"Vodka on the rocks," Quinn ordered, leaving no room for conversation; once the cousins returned home from La Push, John took one look at Jeremy's swollen fist and grinned widely before bumping fists and whispering out a "good job." Apparently the male members of her family had been lining up to teach Paul a lesson and years later, Jeremy finally succeeded. John, Jenna and Jeremy were out like a light before the clock struck nine, and after an hour of Bella rambling nonstop due to wedding jitters, fell into a deep sleep, leaving a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Quinn the only alert resident in the house; this is how Quinn found herself guzzling back her third drink in a small bar in Port Angeles called Donkey-Tail.

Passing over her drink, the sleazy bartender folded his arms against the bar table and lewdly roamed her body, "So, what brings a sexy chick like you in here, drinking all by your lonesome? You in need of some company?"

Flashing him a blank stare, Quinn snapped out, "Definitely not to trade abysmal innuendos with the flirty bartender. Get the hint pal, I sure as hell ain't interested in you," and with one last scathing look, Quinn turned her back on him and returned to the booth she chose that allowed her to easily blend in with the shadows, away from prying eyes and horny men. She had barely enjoyed a few sips before a figure approached her and had the audacity to sit opposite to her. Not even sparing the rude intruder a glance, Quinn snarled out through gritted teeth, "Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested. So scram if you want your family jewels to remain intact."

"I think I'll risk it," a honeyed Texan accent replied sounding incredulously amused. Sucking in a sharp intake of breath, Quinn gasped, " _Jasper_?" The utterly gorgeous Cold One lost his constipated look and was instead staring at her in a mixture of amusement and concern – much to her shock. Folding her hands against her check, her face morphed into one of hostility, "Are you following me? Let me guess, Alice sent you?"

Smirking at the predictable question, Jasper shook his head, "Nah. Edward's paranoid over Bella's safety, and Alice was adamant in not allowing him to watch over her, insisting it's bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the wedding. So, naturally, Alice hired my services," he drawled sarcastically, "Saw you sneak out of the house. Thought you'd be more interesting to watch over then a sleeping bride-to-be."

Fury and disgust rolled off her in waves, and Jasper couldn't help but let out a husky chuckle at the indignant look on the gorgeous brunette's face; "You know what? I'm going to have a few words with Edward about his coddling Bella. She told me about her year at Forks, and yes, she is a danger magnet, it's in our blood, but that still doesn't give him the right to suffocate her!" Quinn sneered, taking a large gulp from her drink, barely wincing at the burning and bitter taste of vodka.

"Good luck with that. Edward's quite stubborn when he wants to be," Jasper confessed; the war-god was confused over why exactly he chose to instigate a conversation with her… there was something about her that drew him near, almost as though they were kindred souls, and knowing his mate, Jasper was confident that Alice elected him to watch over Bella for the particular reason of following Quinn.

"Yeah well, you'll later learn that I'm not most people. I do what I want and get what I want. Edward will listen to me if he knows what's good for him," Quinn wasn't being arrogant, no… reading her emotions, Jasper sensed genuine honesty. "Anyway," Quinn's abrupt voice snapped him out of his reverie, "Why exactly are you here, Jasper? You weren't exactly shy in showing your distaste toward me. Rosalie, too for that matter."

"Rosalie's just jealous," at Quinn's inquiring look, he clarified, "Rose can be quite … vain when it comes to her looks. Even before she became a vampire, when she was human, she was always revered for her gorgeous appearance, being a vampire enhanced her beauty, and you're the first female intruding over her territory. She's jealous 'cause for a human you're easily triumphing her in the beauty department." Quinn snorted and shook her head in humor as she took a few more sips of her intoxicating drink, "Beauty isn't everything. Believe me, I'd know. … So, what about you? What's your beef with me?"

Confounded over how simple it was to converse with a human without feeling the need to drain her dry, Jasper cocked his head to the side, his golden orbs scrutinizing her intently, "I'm very protective when it comes to my family, especially Alice who had taken an immediate liking to you. You were a threat to us and could easily expose us to the Volturi, incurring their wrath. We barely escaped with Bella knowing, and it was only because Aro was curious over what her gift would be and witnessing Alice's vision of her becoming one of us. But you… you were an exposure threat, and that coupled with your flippant remarks of the Volturi, angered me and brought my protective instincts out in the open."

Appreciating the genuine honesty in his reply, Quinn studied the unapproachable vampire with a smidge of curiosity, "So. Why follow me?"

"When you snuck out of the house, I sensed your emotions. The palpable sadness radiating from your person consumed me," Jasper shrugged nonchalantly, "Plus, Alice is very fond of you for some unknown reason, she's quite put off you wouldn't confide in her your problems."

Sighing in annoyance, Quinn fixed Jasper with an intense stare, "Edward is too nosy for his own good. I cannot share my problems with you and risk him finding out, especially because he _will_ , without a doubt tell Bella. I don't want her included in my problems; her being a magnet for trouble, she'll easily get sucked into danger."

"You know… out of the six of us, Rosalie, Alice and I are the only ones with the ability to hide certain thoughts from Edward." Silence permeated around them after his confession and just as Jasper was about to sigh in defeat and leave the enigmatic human alone, she shocked him to the core by opening her mouth, "Bella told me your story. All of you except for Rosalie, for some reason. You're familiar with death, aren't you? War God." Jasper stiffened at that, not having expected those words to come out of her mouth, but before he could snap a biting remark, her voice came out in a hush, "I experienced death first hand before my thirteenth birthday. My twin sister was being particularly cruel to me and I ran off on my own into the woods. After hours of crying, a strange man approached me, he grabbed me and …"

For some reason, Jasper felt anger pooling in his belly, outraged that somebody would dare harm a child … harm Quinn, and a need to protect this human consumed him.

"He covered my mouth to stop me from screaming and somehow-, I was hit with many emotions and my survival instincts surged," she chuckled bitterly, "I guess you can say it's a hereditary gene; it's in my blood. Somehow, the man died. I gave him an aneurysm. I murdered somebody at the age of twelve, and although I was constantly rebuked that it wasn't my fault, and that he was a bad man who probably would have hurt somebody else if he didn't find me, it still doesn't change the fact that I have blood on my hands. Jasper shook his head, not having expected to have a conversation about murder with Bella's cousin. "Your gift is like Jane Volturi," he mused out loud.

Quinn let out a mirthful laugh, "Nah. It's not some gift that would become more potent by becoming a Cold One. I'm a witch, Jasper."

"A witch? R _ii_ ght," Jason skeptically scoffed; Quinn smirked, "I had the same reaction when I found out. But no seriously, you can accept the fact that vampires and werewolves exist, but not witches? Believe me, there are plenty of witches scattered around the world living in clear sight."

Still a bit skeptical, Jasper decided to placate her and changed the subject, "You gonna tell me the truth about whatever sort of danger Alice believes you to be in?" When Quinn hesitated, her exterior turning more guarded, Jasper quickly reassured her, "I won't tell Alice if you don't want me to, and I can easily hide my thoughts from Edward. You're free to say whatever you want darlin', no one's forcing you. But I believe that confession is good for the soul, ya know."

"I already have somebody very dear and near to me if I'm I feel like confessing, but I'll bite," Quinn smirked; for some reason, unbeknownst to her, she felt that Jasper and by extension, Alice, would be a great help to her and were trusted souls that she could relay a few of her conundrums to without receiving judgment in return, "My twin sister and I, we-, we have a bounty on our heads ever since we were born. What do you know about doppelgängers, Jasper?"

Frowning in perplexity, Jasper wildly threw out, "Well, the dictionary meaning is that a doppelgänger is a look-alike or double of a living person. What about it?"

"In Folklore, a doppelgänger is portrayed as a paranormal phenomenon and sometimes referred to as a harbinger of bad luck. That last part is definitely true," Quinn muttered bitterly, "Elena and I are identical twins except for our eyes and we are the doppelgängers of a Bulgarian woman who was born in the year 1473. I am a Petrova Doppelgänger, Jasper, with the exception of my eye color, but in no way does that make me safe. You see, there is this curse, it is called the Sun and the Moon Curse and in order to break it, there are five ingredients." Jasper felt a foreboding sensation creep up inside of him and he knew that he wouldn't like Quinn's next words. Holding up hand, Quinn began ticking a finger off with each ingredient listed, "A specific moonstone, a witch to do the spell, and a werewolf, a vampire and-, and a d-, a doppelgänger, all three of whom should be sacrificed. But not _any_ doppelgänger; the last step of the ritual is for a _Petrova doppelgänger_ to bleed out until the brink of death."

Mulling the heavy words and trying to process them in his astute brain, Jasper muttered, "The curse is placed on that Klaus fellow that you're terrified of, isn't it?" For Jasper would never forget the utter fear that nearly had him collapsing when Alice carelessly uttered the name to Quinn; and just like before, the second he uttered the name Klaus, Jasper was hit with a shitload of palpable fear, and she whispered, "Yes. Katherine managed to escape with her life intact by becoming a vampire. You see, the Sacrifice Ritual is in need of a _human_ doppelgänger, not a vampire, and for over five-hundred years, Katherine has been running away from Klaus who has a vengeance streak. I am trying to find a way to survive with Kat's help, despite the difference in my eye coloring, Klaus could still use me. I'm hiding this from Bella, because I am terrified Klaus would use her to get to me and Bella would never allow herself to back off while my life is in danger."

Jasper swallowed audibly, immensely disturbed by his recent discovery. Witches; century old Curses; Sacrifice Rituals … it was too overwhelming and he understood the need for all the secrecy on her part. Now he knew why Quinn was extremely glib about the Volturi's wrath; this Klaus fellow seemed to install fear in her heart almost to the point of crippling her, "What would you have me do?"

With a genuine smile on her visage that made her face radiant, Quinn said, "I need you to keep this a secret from Bella and ensure that Edward leaves me the hell alone. If Bella tells him to jump, he'll jump; bark, he'll bark; follow me around and he will never fuck off. I cannot save myself with Edward looming over me like a Peeping Tom."

 **-*-Fickle Love-*-**

August 13th, the day that Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan were to be joined in holy matrimony finally arrived, and three different incidents coincided a few hours before the bride was to walk down the lavishly decorated aisle in a resplendent Haute Couture wedding gown the shopaholic pixie Cold One painstakingly picked out with the aid of her newly found shopaholic friend and cousin of the bride.

At the Gilberts rented house, Quinn did not, even for a flimsy second, doubt her decision in confiding with Jasper, but before she was to depart to the Cullens to help with the bride's makeover, a certain statement made by her in Donkey-Tail echoed in her head like a mantra; ' _I guess you can say it's a hereditary gene; it's in my blood.' … it's in my blood … it's in my blood … it's in my blood … it's in my blood …_

 _It's in my blood._

Blood!

Instinctively, Quinn dashed over to her safe and quickly punched in the password combination that had been meticulously chosen by her and retrieved the magnificently bounded grimoire that aided in her slow descend to temporary insanity; staring intently at the golden phoenix engrained in the middle and doused in flames decorated with ruby gems, identical to her confounding black tattoo, Quinn slowly reached out for the dagger she kept as a means for safety, hidden under her pillow, and nicked the inside of her palm. She stared entrancingly as the crimson droplets of blood collided softly with the ruby gems and watched in awe as the phoenix actually _moved_ ; the flame roared wildly and the phoenix let out a barely audible musical thrill and suddenly, the sound of a latch clicked – despite there being no lock and key on the grimoire.

Slowly, in an almost suspense moment, Quinn's hands trembled as the embroidered cover opened and a gasp escaped from her lips upon seeing what awaited her and what had been surreptitiously kept from her. Caressing the front page, Quinn smiled and for the first time, felt deep gratitude toward her mother for forcing her into learning a multitude of languages during her youth.

Quinn fluently read the elegant, cursive script that awaited her in the first page, _'Si vous avez réussi à desceller avec success mon grimoire et lire son contenu secretes alors bienvenue, Chosen Descendant du Phoenix Coven, votre naissance ont été prophétisé longtemps avant notre déclin malheureux. Vous, qui sort a soigneusement choisi d'être notre successeur et celui de continuer notre lignée puissante pour sa realization est à la Granded Prêtesse et l'êveil à beaucoup d'autres, en aidant à poursuivre la ligne très vulnerable et puissant du Phoenix Coven;_ _ **Granded Prêtesse , Ingrid Phoenix**_ _.'_

The words were easily translated by Quinn due to her impressive French tutelage among a few other languages, ' _If you have managed to successfully unseal my grimoire and read its covert contents then welcome, Chosen Descendant of the Phoenix Coven, your birth have been prophesied long before our unfortunate decline. You, who fate has meticulously chosen to be our successor and the one to continue our powerful lineage to its fruition is to be the High Priestess and the awakening to many more, aiding in continuing the highly venerable and potent line of the Phoenix Coven;_ _ **High Priestess, Ingrid Phoenix**_ _.'_ Sky-blue orbs were filled with awe and a smidge of confusion but she quickly returned the grimoire into her safe, already planning on reading it after Bella's wedding to the overprotective and suffocating Cullen.

In synchronization to Quinn's victorious discovery, the pixie Cullen was ruling the household of the Olympic Coven with an iron fist as she succumbed to neurotic wedding planning mode and was barking out a few last minute arrangements before Quinn and Bella were to arrive, ensuring Edward was somewhere far away so that he would be unable to hover over the blushing bride.

However, while the two households were whirring with activity, a regal man dressed in an immaculate suit stood by the outskirts of town, his shrewd mahogany orbs focused intently on the welcome sign stating in capital letters, 'THE CITY OF FORKS WELCOMES YOU.'

A triumphant gleam passed through his orbs and he resolutely marched onwards, unable to mask his impatience in meeting the enigmatic doppelgänger that confounded him and in all intensive purposes, should be inexistent.

 ** _Mystic Falls, Winter, 1864;_**

 ** _By word of mouth, a nobleman heard of the certain individual that managed to dodge him at every turn, taking residence in the curious, idyllic town of Mystic Falls. Concerning this individual, whenever he could practically taste success in the air, the accursed woman successful eluded him in the blink of an eye, leaving naught but a trace of her existence. However, the nobleman was confident that this picturesque town held many answers to his conundrum, and so, he brushed imaginary lint from the shoulder pad of his suit and courteously knocked twice on the front door of Lockwood Manor._**

 ** _A woman who looked well into her late fifties with olive-green orbs, hair of chestnut brown and a wizened face blinked at him twice before her lips broke out into a benign smile, "Hello, sir. May I be of any assistance to you?"_**

 ** _Smiling kindly in return, he respectfully uttered, "Good evening my Lady, I do apologize for the sudden arrival on your doorstep, but I have been asking around about a woman I have been pursuing for many a year now. A Ms. Katherine Pierce?"_**

 ** _The name of the elusive doppelgänger had an instantaneous effect on the elderly woman as her benign smile turned grim and her olive-green orbs gleamed with malice and fear. Cocking her head outside to check for any eavesdroppers, she hastily ushered him inside while managing to keep her tone respectful, a feat that was a wonderful surprise to the inquiring noblemen who inwardly sighed in relief for arriving at the correct destination after four centuries of futile pursuing._**

 ** _"George!_** **George** ** _!" the woman he had yet to grasp a name, bellowed in fearful tones. Not even a minute later, a man in his early twenties appeared, with identical shade of hair and eye coloring as the elderly woman, and the noblemen assumed them to be mother and son._**

 ** _"Mother, what on earth is the matter? And-, pardon me, but may I enquire over your name?" George Lockwood kept a courteous tone, but the noblemen detected the mistrust on his visage and the defensive stance he adopted, staring at his mother with a chastising gaze; he understood of course, Mrs. Lockwood should have known better after their town had been swarming with vampires. It was obvious she had grown complacent._**

 ** _"I apologize for my rudeness. Elijah Smith at your service," the nobleman, Elijah smiled._**

 ** _George nodded, "George Lockwood, and this is my mother, Nancy-Marie. Mother, Father is asking for you, I'll handle our guest," with one last smile at Elijah, Nancy-Marie departed. Ensuring privacy, George led the noblemen to his office, "What can I do for you, Mr. Smith?"_**

 ** _"I have been hunting a specific individual for quite some time now. Last I heard from my fellow_** **hunters** ** _, Katherine Pierce took residence in your quaint little town," deciding to act oblivious that he was sitting opposite to a werewolf, Elijah morphed his tone into one of urgency, "I urge you to tread with caution, Mr. Lockwood. This woman may appear to be harmless, but she is quite dangerous."_**

 ** _George's nonchalant façade stiffened slightly, but nevertheless, smiled at Elijah, "No need to worry, Mr. Smith. For Katherine Pierce and the group that arrived alongside her had been dealt with a few months ago. I assume you to be a vampire hunter?" Elijah nodded, brushing off the pang in his heart at the significant meaning behind George Lockwood's words, "The Founders' Council captured and killed the entire lot, Mr. Smith. Twenty-seven vampires resided in our town, and twenty-seven met their end."_**

 ** _Leaning forward in a conspiratorial manner, unable to believe his Katerina could be bested so easily when he and his ruthless brother spectacularly failed, Elijah asked, "May I ask how you succeeded in this remarkable endeavor? Twenty-seven vampires is no easy feat, especially with the inclusion of the elusive Miss Pierce."_**

 ** _Half an hour later, Elijah found himself approaching the Fell's Church; George Lockwood informed him, in excruciating detail, of how the townspeople rounded the twenty-seven vampires up, locked a metallic muzzle on each of their mouths and assembled them in a tomb under the Fell's Church were they set them ablaze, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ash. George was quite insistent that Katerina was amongst them when they were escorted to the chamber, and he detected no falsehood in his tone or his almighty tale._**

 ** _Staring at the chamber, Elijah smirked to himself as a powerful enchantment echoed in the air and vibrated against his person. "Oh, Katerina, you are indeed a survivor," he muttered to himself. Of course, the manipulative Petrova must have tied a witch to her service and fooled the townspeople, for there was no doubt that the twenty-seven vampires were in fact, very much alive, desiccating until one day, somebody liberates them from the hellish tomb spelled shut by a Servant of Nature._**

 ** _Turning his back on the mystical tomb and ignoring the tortured cries of the few vampires that had yet to succumb to the painless state of mummification, Elijah flashed away from the idyllic town. He would gladly leave Katherine to suffer in the tomb for betraying him in England, but he knew that someday, she would escape, for Katerina Petrova always had a Plan B, a Plan C, and so on … Katerina Petrova would never allow herself to get caught if she didn't have an escape plan, but he would admit, it was quite ingenious of her to fake her death in such an elaborate yet painful way._**

 ** _Let her rot for a few centuries, maybe then, Elijah would allow her reprieve. For nobody betrayed a Mikaelson without feeling their wrath._**

 **A/N:** **How did you like this chapter? XD**

 **I introduced a few characters from Vampire Diaries! Jenna, Jeremy and Elijah! Did you enjoy the Elijah scene? He's finally in Forks… Da Da Dummm.**

 **I couldn't help but add a Quinn/Jasper bonding scene. Jasper and Alice are my favorite Cullens! Also; I am not bashing Edward. In fact I am a Team Edward to the End Fan! However, his overprotective coddling deeply annoyed me; in this story, Bella isn't some insipid girl who is so weak and a pushover. After Bella became a vampire, Edward finally calmed down on the coddling, so once that happens, Edward will be shown in a better light. But I still love him Edward Fans!**

 **To those who didn't understand the flashback: Elijah believes Katherine to be trapped in the tomb. I know Elijah never went to Mystic Falls in canon, but this is my story and I'm changing things. && George Lockwood obviously sensed Elijah to be a vampire, but he was smart enough to recognize him as a threat and possibly the one Katherine faked her death from, so he acted oblivious.**

 **Next chapter: Bella's wedding & oooh, perhaps Quinn and Elijah finally have a confrontation… ? More surprises and plot-twists to come. XD**

 **R &R.**


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